


may all acquaintance be forgot (but i remember you)

by bearpantaloons



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergent, F/F, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out after the second act, covering all my bases, i'm not going to say what movie this is based off of because that'll ruin the twist, i'm tagging a Lena and Jack relationship but it's very minor, so don't yell at me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-01-24 07:47:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 40,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21334711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearpantaloons/pseuds/bearpantaloons
Summary: Kara meets the illustrious Lena Luthor during an interview her cousin got her and she falls for the woman instantly. After a whirlwind romance, Lena's mother disapproves and Kara doesn't feel like she's good enough. They lose touch and meet again a year later, but everything has changed, except for one thing: the way they feel about each other.Based on a Nicholas Sparks book/film that I'm going to make you guess.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Lena Luthor/Jack Spheer
Comments: 62
Kudos: 276





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was fully prepared to finish one of my other WIP, but then my friends talked me into turning one of my ficlet ideas into a full-blown movie adaptation fic, so here we are. Thanks for stopping by.

Kara is so late. She’s never late, but the one day she actually needs to be on time, she’s late. And it’s not even a little late, it’s throw-on-the-nearest-shirt-and-pants-and-pray late. She’s supposed to meet her cousin Clark at CatCo Worldwide Media, her usual place of employment, and he’s going to take her to meet _the_ Lena Luthor, CEO of Luthor-Corp for an interview.

She’s never conducted an official interview before, but it’s always something she’s been interested in. Her bus is, thankfully, on time and she makes it to the office only ten minutes late. Clark is standing outside and impatiently checking his watch. When Kara exits the bus, Clark grabs her arm and is immediately hailing a taxi for the both of them.

“I can’t believe you’re going to make me late,” Clark hisses under his breath while they climb into the taxi that stops in front of them. “You don’t show up late to an interview with Lena Luthor.”

“I’m sorry! My alarm didn’t go off. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

Clark rolls his eyes and throws his head back in frustration at Kara’s naïveté. They continue to sit silently until the taxi pulls up to the monstrous tower of a building, probably the tallest in National City. Clark exits first and Kara afterwards as they walk briskly inside so that they can check in with reception. They’re escorted to the elevator by a security guard and stand behind him while the elevator ascends up higher and higher.

“Let me do the talking,” Clark warns, his voice barely a whisper. “And definitely do not admit to being late due to oversleeping. She’s only here for the summer, filling in for her brother while he’s on extended leave, so we need to make this count.”

Kara sighs and nods, staying quiet as she’s told. Once the elevator bell dings and the door slides open at the top floor, the security guard then walks them toward a desk.

“Clark Kent and Kara Danvers for Miss Luthor,” he says curtly. The assistant looks through her calendar and picks up her phone. The guard excuses himself and leaves the other two to fend for themselves.

“The reporters are here, Miss Luthor,” a pause, “Yes, ma’am.” She looks back up. “Miss Luthor will be right with you. Please take a seat.” Kara doesn’t say so, but she preens at being called a reporter. They sit down as instructed and Kara’s leg bounces nervously.

“If you don’t relax, you’re going to vibrate a hole into the carpet,” Clark says under his breath. Kara stills her nervous tic and the door to their right opens. A very attractive, incredibly elegant-looking woman walks out and Kara nearly swallows her entire tongue. She’s seen photographs of Miss Luthor, of course, but images on a computer screen pale in comparison to the woman standing there in the flesh.

“You must be Clark Kent and Kara Danvers. It’s nice to meet you,” she offers her hand to each of them before gesturing toward her office. Kara wipes off her clammy hands on her skirt before shaking it. They walk inside together and Kara’s eyes widen at the size of the office, which is nearly the same square footage of her own apartment. Lena walks behind her desk and sits down, placing her hands in her lap, watching the two of them like a hawk.

Clark sits down and clears his throat before rummaging through his bag.

“We’re sorry for being late,” Kara blurts out, trying to fill the silence with something, anything. “It was my fault. I was so excited about this interview that I spent too much time picking something out to wear that I missed my bus. Clark kicks her in the shin to get her to stop blabbering and she squeaks while Lena looks on, an amused look on her face.

“You chose well,” she says wryly and Kara nearly swallows her tongue a second time when she notices that Lena’s left eyebrow is lifted slightly higher than her right. Their interview goes well. She and Clark trade off on questions and by the end, they have enough material for a solid article with plenty of quotes. Lena walks them to the door and Clark thanks her for her time. There’s another woman, tall with red hair, waiting outside of the office now and she stands up, walking right into Lena’s office without an invitation.

“Hello, Mother,” Kara hears Lena say before she shuts the door.

Kara’s on a high for the rest of the day. Not only did she get to sit in on her first interview, Clark said she’ll also get credit on the byline with him. When she goes home later that evening, she can’t get Lena out of her mind, so she does what any normal person would do and Googles her, reading every article, watching every video, and gaining as much knowledge about this enigmatic woman that she possibly can.

During her research, she finds out that Lena had been traveling around the world before she was called in to take over for her brother Lex. She was harvesting various plants and minerals for her research on previously incurable diseases and was making it her life’s work to find cures for them. It’s nothing like the rumors Kara heard at CatCo from various people, stating that Lena was nothing more than a glorified pet project for her parents - to take in a little orphan girl from Ireland and raise her in their image, to become their greatest creation. Lena doesn’t seem cruel or cold-hearted like many of the forum comments state, but Kara was really only exposed to her for an hour. She likes to think she’s a good judge of character, though.

A few days later, Kara goes into work and sees a sealed envelope on her desk. She looks around, but she’s the first one there and no one else is at their desks yet. She uses a letter opener and slides it across the thick paper and lifts the card stock out of it. Her name is scrawled in really fancy calligraphy and it has that day’s date on it. She flips the card over and notices an “LL” stamped into it. It’s an invitation to a party, for what, Kara has no idea, but it’s Lena inviting her for whatever reason. She immediately calls Clark to ask him if he received one and he says he did, but he has to get back to Metropolis, so he won’t be able to make it.

Kara panics a little – okay, a lot. She has no idea how to dress for a party, let alone a party hosted by someone who’s running a multi-billion-dollar company. She calls her sister, Alex, and tries to get some pointers, but is promptly told that she’s never been to a ‘rich person’s party’ before, either, and Kara’s on her own. She lies her head on her desk when her boss slaps the wood next to her face and startles her.

“I don’t pay you to take naps,” Cat Grant says breezily as she heads into her office.

Kara finishes her day out and heads home, stressing about the party and what she’s going to wear. Honestly, who has a party on a Thursday night? She tears through her apartment and closet, looking for something appropriate, but most of her dresses are sun dresses, or something that she would wear to the local outdoor theatre, not something to wear in front of Lena Luthor. Tucked away, deep in the corner of her closet, she pulls out a navy blue dress that she’d forgotten about. She can’t remember why she bought it or what it was for, but it’ll do.

She quickly gets dressed and does her hair, pulling it up into a tight bun. The dress is sleeveless with a high neck and she thinks it accentuates her curves, not that she’s trying to. She digs through her closet in search of a clutch to take with her and lets out an _ah-ha_ when she finds one buried beneath all of her shoes. When she’s done getting ready, she realizes she still has an hour to spare, but decides that being a little early won’t be that bad of an idea, even if it’s a little embarrassing. She’s sure she can find something to keep her occupied. It’s just to make up for being late to the interview. Yeah, that’s it.

After calling a taxi, it pulls up outside of her building and she gives the driver the address. He looks at her skeptically and asks if she’s sure, but Kara tells him, “Of course,” and wonders why it’s such a big deal. The venue is about a half hour away, well out of the busy city, and when the taxi pulls into the long and windy driveway, Kara understands why the driver didn’t think she belonged in a place like that, because the property is _huge_. It’s acres of greenery and a gigantic mansion stuck in the middle of it. Kara instantly regrets getting there early, because now she’ll be stuck in the courtyard of a mansion and the exit will be a mile away.

She pays the cab driver and watches him kick up dust with his tires as he drives away. Kara slowly turns around and takes everything in, unsure if she should knock on the front door or explore on her own. Her decision is made for her when a rather large man approaches her, looking unamused.

“Excuse me, miss, are you lost?”

“I—no, I’m a guest. I just got here a little early.” She fumbles through her clutch and pulls out the invitation, hands shaking. The man takes it and looks it over, speaking softly into his comm.

“Follow me,” he says as he turns around and walks toward the mansion. He opens both doors and Kara walks in, nearly slipping on her own feet when she looks at the entryway. There’s a gosh darn _chandelier_ overhead with fancy vases and candelabras and whatever rich people use to decorate with. Kara hears heeled footsteps approaching and she nearly dives behind a full suit of armor, but her feet won’t move. Lena appears and smiles at her and it should be illegal for someone like her to wear something like _that._ It’s a deep maroon dress with a low hanging neck that shows off her collar and neck and _freckles_.

“Kara, you’re here early,” Lena says, not as an accusation, but more as an observation. Her smile shows off her perfectly-aligned teeth and Kara wills herself not to look below her neck, because she probably shouldn’t stare at Lena Luthor’s cleavage on her second meeting, but it’s _right there_. Instead, she takes a step forward and makes direct eye contact to give herself something else to focus on, which isn’t much better, because Lena’s eyes are just as beautiful and when did she become one of those people who fawns over someone she’s just met?

“Yeah, uh, I guess I read the time on the invitation wrong.”

“It’s no problem, let me get you something to drink,” Lena offers and walks down one of the hallways to a kitchen area where rows and rows of plates are set up. She grabs a flute of champagne for herself and Kara and hands one over. Kara takes the glass and swirls it around like wine, which amuses Lena. She takes a sip and her eyes light up, resisting the urge to chug the entire thing.

“This is delicious, and this one glass probably costs a week’s worth of wages.”

“Two, most likely,” Lena jokes. “I have a few more things to take care of before people start showing up. Please make yourself at home. The sitting room is right through there and there should be some finger foods set up already. Help yourself.”

Kara heads into the sitting room and grabs herself a small plate, dishing herself tiny quiches and smoked salmon and caviar and, she gasps, _potstickers_. She has no idea if Lena is married or not, but she’s about to run a mile out to the road and hitchhike somewhere to buy an engagement ring. She sits down on one of the couches and begins eating, looking around the room. It doesn’t seem like a place that Lena Luthor would stay, perhaps it’s a family home, or not someone’s home at all and only used for big parties like this. With her mouth full of food, people start filtering in and she bolts up and finishes chewing her food. They don’t pay her any mind and mingle amongst themselves.

A woman stands behind her and introduces herself. “Sam Arias. You look lost.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that,” Kara says, pouting.

She smiles gently, her eyes are kind but strong. “That’s because you’re wearing a dress from JC Penny and everyone here will be wearing designer, probably things they’ll only wear once. It’s not a critique, by the way. I actually hate going to things like this. Everything is so over-the-top and unnecessary.”

“Why do you come, then?” Kara asks.

Sam shrugs. “It’s expected of me. Plus, Lena’s a good friend and she’d give me an earful about leaving her alone to fend off the wolves by herself.”

“I’m not exactly sure why I was invited. I’ve only met Miss Luthor once.”

“You must have made quite an impression,” Sam winks. “Lena does everything for a reason.”

“I guess the article I wrote with my cousin did get a lot of clicks,” she supposes. “I’m new to the whole journalism thing.”

Kara and Sam continue talking. Sam introduces her to a few more big names, some in journalism, so she can start networking. Other people they steer clear of and Sam warns her about the playboys and the others she should keep her distance from. About an hour later, Lena walks through the large doors and the room falls to a hush. She’s holding another glass of champagne and servers walk around with trays, handing out glasses to everyone else. Lena and Sam take theirs and wait for Lena to say what she needs to say.

“I just want to welcome everyone here tonight, thank you for coming. As you know, my brother Lex had to take a leave of absence, which meant I was the one who had to come pick up the slack. So far, it’s been an easy transition and I invited you all here, because you helped make it easier on me. Think of it as a thank you. There’s plenty of food and drinks, so enjoy yourselves.” She raises her glass and the crowd does as well and they sip their champagne and continue their discussions.

Lena makes her way around the room and Kara keeps an eye on her, also trying to listen to whatever Sam is saying.

“… so that’s how I lost my arm to a tiger. Hey, Earth to Kara.”

Kara snaps out of her reverie and switches her attention to Sam. “Sorry, sorry. I’m listening.”

Sam looks in the direction that Kara was looking in and smirks. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to Lena.”

“I’ve already been introduced to her.”

“Not by me,” she winks.

Lena notices them and steps away from her current conversation to greet the pair. “Sam, Kara, I’m glad you two could make it. I hope Sam here isn’t being too inappropriate.”

“Oh, no, she’s been a complete gentlewoman.”

“Really?” Lena drawls with a raised eyebrow.

Sam just shrugs. “I can behave when I want to.”

“Right,” Lena says with a smirk. “Well, I need to continue making my rounds, but I’ll come find you both when I’m finished.” Kara watches her leave and Sam watches Kara.

“She’s good at that,” Sam observes, taking a sip of her champagne.

“Good at what?” Kara asks.

“Making people fall in love with her.” She says that as though she has experience.

“What? I’m not—no, I don’t even know her.”

“Doesn’t matter. Lena has a way about her, keeping people at arm’s length, making them want more. It’s endlessly frustrating, but so satisfying when you can peel away one of the layers. And when she does that thing where she makes you feel important, like the only person who matters, whew. You’re done for.”

Kara believes her. She doesn’t know what it is about Lena, but she makes her want to get to know her, to really _know her_. It’s never happened to her before, with anyone. Sure, she’s liked people, dated a few, fell in love a couple times, but this is different. She doesn’t know a thing about Lena, but she wants to, is the thing. She and Sam explore the courtyard and walk to the back, where they find a massive pool and a firepit. They find a couple of seats in front of the fire and settle in. Kara learns that Sam is the CFO for Luthor-Corp and says she can get Kara more interviews with various people around the city should she want them.

“I’m not actually a journalist,” she admits. I just did the interview with Lena, because my cousin let me tag along.

“Well, like I said before, you must have made an impression. Lena’s very careful about who she allows around her. But anyway, I read that interview. It was really well done, so I think you’ve got a future in journalism. I know some people who could help you out.”

Kara sputters. “Oh, wow, really? Thank you, I—why are you being so nice to me?”

“I know what it’s like being where you are, trying to find my place in life, not knowing how to get started, never fitting in. Lena gave me a chance when no one else would. I told myself that if I could ever help someone, I would, so, that’s what I’m doing.”

“There you two are,” Lena says as she slumps down next to them. Sam takes the opportunity to continue being the best wingwoman in existence.

“I should be going, too. You and Kara can get to know one another. Oh, here’s my card, Kara. Call me if you need pointers or anything.”

She kisses Lena on the cheek and sets down her glass on the counter before taking her leave. Kara suddenly realizes that she’s alone with Lena with no buffer between them and she has no idea what she’s supposed to say.

“You want to get out of here?” Kara blurts out, not sure what she’s doing.

“Are you asking me to leave my own party?”

Kara looks around. “Most of the guests have already gone home and those who are still here are either waiting to sober up or will probably pass out, so I don’t think your services are needed. Come on.” She stands and offers her hand, which Lena takes. Kara leads them out through the house to the front courtyard, but is at a loss on where to go from there.

“I don’t suppose you have a car?”

Lena scoffs. “How do you think I got here? Hot air balloon?” She walks to the side of the building and opens the garage, door and sitting in there is a fire red Aston Martin Superleggera.

“Holy moly,” Kara breathes out.

“You kiss your mother with that mouth?” Lena laughs. She takes her keys out of her shoulder bag and the alarm beeps, but Kara pauses.

“Have you been drinking?”

“I—yes,” Lena says cautiously. Kara holds her hand out expectantly, waiting for the keys to be placed in her palm.

“No. No way. This is a three hundred-thousand-dollar car.”

“Le—Miss Luthor. Either you drive and get a DUI, which I’m sure you can afford, but think of the scandal, or you let me drive. I’ll go slow, I promise. Lena begrudgingly surrenders the keys and climbs into the passenger seat while Kara jumps into the driver’s seat. She’s never even sat in a car this expensive before, let alone driven one. She’s nervous, to say the least, but she turns the ignition and the engine roars to life. Turning on the headlights, she puts the car in gear and starts driving down the road, very slowly.

“Kara, you can go faster than fifteen miles per hour. You won’t hurt it.”

“Oh, right.” Kara pushes the gas down a little harder and the car lurches forward. It takes her a little while to get used to how the car handles, but they’re finally out on the open road and Kara doesn’t exactly know where she’s going. She offered to take Lena away, but didn’t have the foresight to decide on a place first. Kara hides her uncertainty well and keeps driving until she finds the waterfront and a road she recognizes. A little further down, she turns into a dock and parks. There’s a long pier at one end and Kara leads the both of them out in that direction.

The sky is clear and the stars are shining up high, actually visible since they’re far enough out of the city. Kara sits on the edge of the pier and waits for Lena.

“Do you know how much this dress costs?”

“Sam says that you’ll probably only wear it once, anyway.”

“That little shit,” Lena laughs. “She’s not wrong, though.” Lena takes off her heels and sits down next to Kara.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to build my own boat, take it out to sea and just float out there.”

“Wouldn’t it be lonely?” Lena asks.

“Maybe not with the right company.”

Kara’s heart is thrumming being this close in vicinity to Lena, alone, and her hands are shaking. She puffs out a breath and watches the water ripple beneath their feet. If she extends her pinky out just an inch, she’ll be able to touch Lena’s hand, but she doesn’t know why she’d do that. This was their second meeting and the only things she knows about Lena are on public record on the Internet. She can’t blame the alcohol for what happens next, only her impulsive behavior and lack of filter that Alex continually chastises her for.

“I really like you,” she says, freezing after saying it. It’s silent, save for the water hitting the sides of the boats that are tethered nearby.

“Kara…” Lena starts saying, but Kara interrupts her.

“No, I’m sorry. We hardly know each other. I shouldn’t have said that. Alex – she’s my sister – says that I need to not say everything that’s on my mind, but sometimes I can’t help it, you know? I’ve always been the type to go after whatever I want and you, _gosh_, you’re incredible. I mean, I don’t know you, but I can tell. Twenty-four with three degrees, two of them in bio-engineering and immunology and the third in business. Who does that? And all of the research you’re funding and all of the cures you’re developing!”

Lena watches her with an entertained look as Kara spouts off her entire Wikipedia biography. “Well, thank you for all of that praise, though I’m not sure I deserve it.”

“Not sure you de—are you kidding? Of course you do. You’re out there making a difference. The things you’re doing are amazing.”

Lena ducks her head. “If only my mother held the same opinion. She says I’m not doing enough.”

Kara scoffs. “Well, maybe I should have a word with her. I can make a PowerPoint presentation of all of the good things you’re doing. I’ll change her mind, no problem.”

Lena laughs. “You’re sure are something, Kara Danvers.”

The air between them stills and Kara looks deep into Lena’s eyes. She leans in ever so slightly, licking her lips, eyes darting down to Lena’s own red ones. Her heart is beating out of her chest and she swears she sees Lena leaning in, too, before a flashlight shines on them.

“Hey! You two shouldn’t be out here.”

They stand up immediately. “Oh, sorry, we were just leaving,” Kara stumbles. The guard points the light in their faces and then turns around to look at the car and it dawns on him who he’s kicking out.

“Oh, Miss Luthor, I didn’t know it was you. Please accept my apology.”

Lena holds her hands out to calm him. “It’s quite all right. We didn’t realize we weren’t supposed to be out here at night.”

“We just get a lot of riffraff out here, is all. I wanted to make sure the two of you were safe.”

“What’s your name?” Lena asks.

“I, uh—Clifford, ma’am.”

“Clifford, give my office a call on Monday morning and leave a message with my assistant. Let her know I asked you to and she’ll take it from there.” She pats him on the shoulder, puts her heels back on her feet and walks toward the car.

Kara runs after her, unlocking the doors. “Why did you want him to call your office?”

“I’m going to put a good word in with his supervisor, make sure he gets a raise.”

“You can do that?” Kara asks incredulously.

“I’m a Luthor, I can do anything,” Lena says easily as she opens the door to the car and sits down. Kara lets out a breath and wonders how anyone can keep up with someone like Lena. They drive back to Kara’s place and she hands Lena back her keys.

“You’re sure you’re okay to drive?”

Lena smiles. “I’m fine, thank you. Completely sobered up.”

“Okay, good. Um, well, I had a nice night, thanks again for inviting me.”

“Thank you for the interview and the article. You made me look good.”

“Oh,” Kara snorts dismissively. “That was all Clark, and it doesn’t take a lot to make you look good.” Her comment makes Lena visibly flush and she tightens her grip on the steering wheel.

“Thank you for a nice evening, Kara. It could have been a lot worse if I didn’t have you and Sam to keep me entertained. My mother insists I host periodic parties like that to keep the investors happy.”

“What about what makes you happy?”

“Well, when you run a company, your happiness often gets pushed aside. Par for the course.”

“It’s only for the summer, though, right? Lex will be back, eventually.”

“Right,” Lena says, her smile not quite the same as before. “Anyway, I should let you get going. I’m sure you still have to go to work tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I do. I’ll also have a few phone numbers to call to see if I can get somewhere with this journalism thing. Sam directed me to a lot of people at the party.”

Lena hums. “Sam’s great, she’ll definitely take care of you. I’ll see you around, Miss Danvers.” 

Kara waves as the car takes off, much too quickly for the residential street they’re on. She wonders if she was imagining things, but her voice changed when she talked about Sam and then she wonders if there’s some history there. Kara twirls around and heads into her building, texting Alex everything that happened that night and she receives a reply, reminding her of their rule of ‘unless it’s an emergency and there’s a house or a dog on fire, no texting after midnight’ and it was exactly twelve forty-two.

Kara can’t think of anything but their near-kiss and wonders if Lena would have pulled away or kissed her back. Part of her thinks that it’ll never happen, because she’s a glorified assistant pretending to be a journalist and Lena is, well, Lena. The other part of her is a hopeless romantic and thinks that if it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen. In any case, she’s excited to see where her networking will lead her and sets a reminder to call Sam in the morning. She goes to sleep with a good feeling that her life is heading in the right direction.


	2. Chapter 2

Kara gives Sam a call and they agree to meet for lunch just outside of Luthor-Corp out in the patio. They talk about Kara’s options and Sam says she can put in a good word with Cat Grant for her. Once they get their food, they begin eating and Kara tells her about how Clark got her the interview, and also mentions why they were late. Someone interrupts their meal Kara nearly chokes on her burger when she sees it’s Lena.

“Sam, you didn’t tell me you were meeting with Miss Danvers today.”

“I didn’t think it was something you wanted to be bothered with. We’re just talking shop,” Sam replies almost playfully. Kara watches the two of them stare off as she chomps down on a french fry.

“Well, I’ll leave you two it, then. Enjoy your lunch together,” Lena says curtly and heads toward the building entrance.

“I-it was nice seeing you, Miss Luthor,” Kara yells out a little too late. Sam laughs and shakes her head while Kara tries to hide the redness blushing on her cheeks.

Kara and Alex have dinner in Alex’s apartment later that night and Kara wonders when her sister became the expert on dating, because all she’s been hearing all night is how Lena Luthor is way out of her league, like not even in the same solar system.

“I’m not actively pursuing anything, I just think she’s neat.”

Alex gives her a disbelieving look. “Listen, you’re like a puppy. Any attention you get from someone, you immediately fall in love with them.

“That’s not true!” Kara says with a mouth full of pasta.

“What about Leslie?”

“I—she was pretty, okay? Maybe a little too wild for my tastes, but we had fun.”

“She wanted you to use your powers to rob a bank.”

“She was joking!”

“I can’t believe you told her about your powers in the first place. Leslie Willis of all people.”

“I’m tired of hiding them, Alex,” Kara whines. “What good is having them if I can’t use them? I should be helping people, not using them to cool down your beer.”

“Okay, first of all, that’s helping me immensely. Warm beers are like drinking liquid sadness. Second of all, it’s dangerous. If people know about you, think of all the people who’d want to use you for their gain. You’re powerful and could make people a lot of money if they know how to take advantage of you.”

“That’s a very bleak outlook on humanity,” Kara says with a pout, poking at the rest of her pasta.

“I’m just being realistic,” replies Alex. She reaches over and takes Kara’s hand. “I’m your sister and I’m sworn to protect you under the laws of sisterhood. Besides, do you know how mad mom would be if I let you get hurt by some power-hungry jerk?”

“I guess you’re right,” Kara relents. “Can we have ice cream now?”

Alex laughs and nods. “I bought two cartons.”

The conversation that night doesn’t stop Kara from thinking about using her powers for good. She flies up to the top of her apartment building and sits on the edge, watching the stars. She wonders if her birth parents would want her to hide, too. She can’t imagine them being comfortable sitting by while people are getting hurt daily. She misses her home planet Krypton, but Earth is her home now. She should be doing whatever she can to help. What Alex doesn’t know won’t hurt her, so she starts small – saving kittens from storm drains, speeding around and leaving food for the homeless without them noticing. These little gestures make her feel better at first, but she knows she could be doing more. She wears a homemade suit that she sewed up herself, which look like a pair of pajamas, but it’s better than nothing.

One day, there’s an oil tanker that somehow gets lit on fire and Kara rushes over there to evacuate the ship and help contain the spillage. She successfully gets everyone out, getting them onto the lifeboats, or flying them off herself and keeps the oil from spreading out too far. In this moment, she realizes she has an opportunity and decides to take it. She goes home and writes an article about the spill, getting an interview with the hero, with quotes and everything, and she takes it in to Cat the next morning.

Her boss reads over it carefully with the news story playing on the many television screens behind her desk and she looks up at Kara dubiously.

“So, you’re saying you were in the right place at the right time and this… Supergirl, or whatever, stopped and gave you an exclusive interview?”

“Yep, that about sums it up,” Kara replies, trying not to let her nerves show.

Cat removes her glasses and puts the papers down. “Run it. If you can keep this up, I may have a promotion in store for you.”

Kara lights up. “Oh, thank you, Ms. Grant. I won’t let you down.”

“See that you don’t,” she waves her hand, shooing Kara out of her office.

Kara can’t wait to tell Clark everything, but she doesn’t expect the reaction she gets. Clark pretty much forbids her from using her powers anymore, which she doesn’t understand. She thought he’d be proud of her.

“It’s _dangerous_,” he tells her, after flying over that night.

“You use them all the time! Why do you get to be Superman and I’m here doing nothing? I can help.”

“Listen, Kara, I’ve had years of experience. You’re the only family I have left. I don’t want to lose you.”

“What about me? What happens if I lose you?”

Clark sighs and his cape flaps in the wind mockingly. “Nothing I say is going to deter you, is it? You’re going to keep doing this no matter what?” Kara nods. “Fine, but you don’t tell anyone your identity or mine and you do things at night only.

“Okay, deal,” Kara agrees. Clark is about to take off when he turns around.

“You’re going to need a suit. You can’t be a superhero who wears sweaters and chinos.”

Kara throws a bagel at him.

* * *

It’s been a few weeks since she’s seen Lena and the new stories about her and Luthor-Corp have become very sparse in her recent Google searches. So, when Sam asks her out for lunch, she jumps at the chance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the CEO.

“You’re having lunch with Kara again?” Lena asks, walking past Sam’s desk.

“Yeah, why? You jealous?”

Lena scoffs. “Hardly. She just doesn’t seem like your type, that’s all.”

“This is a purely professional relationship. You have nothing to worry about. Although, if you keep dragging your feet, someone will eventually scoop her up. Have you seen those arms?”

Lena rolls her eyes. “I’m not looking for a relationship, you know that. Besides, Mother would never allow it. You know how she is.”

“Yeah,” Sam replies sympathetically. “Still, you could use another friend. You can’t keep relying on Ruby and me to fill up your weekly social quota.

“Whatever. I’m not paying you for your relationship advice, Arias.”

“Oh, are you the one paying me? If that’s the case, I’d like to speak to you about getting a raise. I do a lot of work around here.”

“Oh, my god, get out. Go on your date.”

“Not a date! You still have a chance,” Sam yells over her shoulder.

Kara waits outside of the restaurant and smiles when she sees Sam walking down the sidewalk. She waves at her happily and walks over a few steps to meet her.

“You look happy,” Sam notices.

“I may be having a change in employment soon,” Kara beams.

“Oh? Tell me more.” They both get seated and sit down across from each other.

“I’m assuming you’ve heard of Supergirl, or this person going around and helping the city?”

“Yeah, of course. She’s all over the news.”

“I was the one who broke her first story. I got that interview with her and showed it to Cat.”

“No shit,” Sam says proudly as she sits back in her chair. “Look at you, junior reporter Danvers. I’m proud of you.”

Kara ducks her head and blushes. “Thanks. I owe a lot of it to you.

Sam shakes her head dismissively. “I didn’t do anything, that was all you.” Kara reaches across the table and squeezes Sam’s hand.

“No, really, thank you. You gave me the confidence and that little push that I needed.” She looks into Sam’s eyes and feels something strange in her stomach and a heat in her ears before taking her hand back. She almost feels embarrassed, maybe even guilty. “Anyway, um, how’s Lena—er, Miss Luthor? I haven’t heard from her in a while.”

“Oh, you know. Working too hard, as usual. There’s a merger coming up with Spheerical Industries and she’s working out the kinks.”

“Wow, Spheerical as in Jack Spheer?”

“The one in the same.”

“He’s the one who’s developing all of the nanotechnology, the-the nanobots that will be used in operating rooms around the country.”

Sam smiles again, impressed. “You know your technology.”

“I like to keep informed,” Kara grins sheepishly. They finish up their lunch and Sam promises to send Lena her regards. It feels strange to miss someone she’s only had a handful of interactions with, but she can safely say that she misses Lena, or at least her face. Luckily, she doesn’t have to wait long before their next meeting, because Cat assigns her the interview with Lena that covers her company’s merger with Spheerical Industries. Kara does as much research as she can on the merger and on Jack’s company, so she’ll be prepared, but that all goes out the window once she enters Lena’s office and sees her wearing a navy blue suit and three-inch heels.

“Kara!” She says, standing up from her desk and walking over to greet her. “It’s been too long.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it,” Kara responds, hugging her notebook to her chest.

“I’ve been keeping up with your articles. They’ve all been really great and it’s amazing that you get all of these scoops with Supergirl herself.”

“Yeah,” Kara laughs nervously. “We’ve kind of become colleagues in a way. I cover her good deeds, make her look good, and she lets me interview her.”

“Sounds like quite the symbiotic relationship.” Lena sits at her desk and Kara takes a seat across from her. “Well, let’s get down to business, shall we? You’re here about the merger.”

Kara nods. “Yes, Cat told me to get all of the information I can on it – why you chose Spheerical and not another tech company, what your history with Jack is, you know.”

“Ah, so she wants the gossip.”

“Well—I mean, not _really_. She wants anything that will get clicks, so I guess gossip is included in that, but if I make the rest of the interview interesting enough, we won’t need it.”

Kara conducts the interview and it goes smoothly. She gets all of the information she needs for the article and Lena even tells her (off the record) that she and Jack used to date back in college, but it didn’t work out when she had to move back to National City. Her mother didn’t understand why they couldn’t just have a long distance relationship, because both of them are filthy rich with their own private jets, but Lena said it was because she really wasn’t all that interested in a relationship that would take that much emotional energy.

Kara finds herself even more enamored with Lena as she speaks about her work. She really does want to help the greater population with her technology and medicinal research. She suspects that she doesn’t really enjoy being a CEO and would rather be out in the vast wilderness looking for new plants to harvest.

Lena invites Kara out to lunch after the interview and Kara nearly jumps at the chance to spend more time with the CEO. They go to a small diner nearby and talk more. Kara finds out that Lena wants to develop technology for Superman and thinks she’d be able enhance his suit. Jealousy pours through Kara’s veins at the thought of Lena working closely with her cousin when she’s not allowed to use her powers during the day. She doesn’t even have her own fancy suit. She clenches her jaw and pretends to be interested in what she has to say about the upgrades she’d make.

“So, you’re not opposed to aliens, then?” Kara asks.

“Oh no, quite the opposite. I always knew there had to be life out there, so to have one on our own planet, in our own country, is really exciting.”

Well, at least there’s that. Lena’s sympathetic towards aliens, so she wouldn’t try to have Kara arrested outright if she knew. They finish up their lunch and Kara walks Lena back to her office. When they say goodbye, Lena surprises Kara with a hug and lingers a little longer than she’s used to. They both promise to keep in touch better and exchange phone numbers. Kara smiles at her phone the whole way down to the lobby and doesn’t even notice herself running right into someone else’s chest.

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Relax, Kara. It’s fine,” Sam grins.

“Oh, hey Sam! I just got finished having lunch with Lena after the interview.”

“Really?” Sam smirks knowingly. “She gave you the story on the merger, huh?”

“Yup! Between the two of you, I’m going to have stories to write until the end of the year.” Kara bounces enthusiastically.

“Then you’ll have plenty of excuses to keep visiting Luthor-Corp,” Sam says with a wink and it confuses Kara, but she nods.

“Absolutely. You won’t be able to keep me away.”

True to their word, both Lena and Sam saw a lot more of Kara over the next few weeks, making excuses to invite her to Luthor-Corp, whether it be for an interview or a sporadic lunch. Very rarely would all three hang out, but on the rare occasion when both Lena and Sam were in the office and not busy, they would all go out to lunch together. Kara finds herself even more flustered when she’s around both Lena and Sam at the same time. They are both incredibly crass when they’re in the same vicinity and Kara spends most of her time blushing, which just eggs them on.

“Oh, come on Lena. Kara’s exactly your type. You always like the shy ones.”

Lena rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. Jack was _not_ shy.”

“There are always outliers. He’s the only one who’s ever pursued you first, everyone else was always intimidated by you.” Sam turns to address Kara. “She loves the chase.”

“Okay, I think that’s enough talk about my past relationships.”

“Conquests,” Sam quips.

Lena pays the bill and she and Kara wait outside while Sam uses the restroom.

“Sorry about her. She can’t help herself whenever she has the opportunity to embarrass me in front of pretty women.”

Kara’s brain short circuits when Lena calls her pretty, but she recovers beautifully. “Oh, that’s okay. It’s all in good fun.”

“Kara, I was wondering if—”

“You ladies ready?” Sam interrupts while bursting through the restaurant doors. Lena’s question dies in her mouth and the three of them walk back to Luthor-Corp. Lena calls Kara a car to take her back to work, even though she insists she can pay for a taxi.

The next week, Lena walks into CatCo and uses the excuse of needing to speak to Cat about the direction she’s taking the company and about a potential partnership, since Kara has been getting exclusive interviews for the past few months. After her meeting, she stops by Kara’s desk and sees the blonde with her face full of sushi.

Kara swallows. “Lena! What a nice surprise. No Sam today?”

Lena swallows her jealousy when Kara asks about Sam and smiles. “No, I asked her to stay at the office this time around. I actually came by to ask if you wanted to grab lunch since I was here, but I see you’ve already eaten.”

Kara tosses the rest of the sushi into the trash can and pushes her chair back. “Oh, no, it was just a snack – a pre-lunch snack. I could still eat.”

Lena chuckles, telling Kara to grab her bag, and they head out together. They take Lena’s car this time, rather than walk to the restaurants in the area. It’s strange, but Kara’s always up for finding new places to eat. It’s a lunch like any other lunch, except this time, Kara notices that Lena is staring at her more, almost regarding her. Kara brushes it off and assumes Lena is just really into intense eye contact, something she picked up from being a CEO and having to deal with a lot of bigwigs. Kara goes on and on about how she’s getting more articles to write besides puff pieces, excitement glows in her eyes and her arms wave around wildly as she speaks. Lena looks tense and she’s gripping her fork hard enough to bend it when she blurts out that Kara looks really pretty today. Kara freezes mid-sentence and Lena looks like she’s already coming up with an excuse to backpedal with, but Kara smiles widely at her.

“So do you. I mean, you always look pretty. It really should be illegal.”

That jumpstarts something within their friendship and their meetings are a lot more comfortable. There are more casual touches and movie nights. Sam teases Lena relentlessly, which she takes in stride, because she gets to spend more time with Kara.

Sam walks right into Lena’s office one day and invites her out to drinks after work.

“I can’t, I told Kara that I’d watch _The Mummy_ with her, since I’ve never seen it.”

Sam gives Lena an amused look. “A movie date, huh? Moving kind of fast there, Luthor.”

“Shut up, Sam,” Lena retorts good-naturedly. “It’s just a movie night as friends.”

“Right,” Sam drawls. “Well, whatever it is, it’s been good for you. You’re a lot less insufferable and you actually smile in the boardroom sometimes. You haven’t even yelled at Gary this week.”

“Well, maybe that’s because Gary hasn’t been a know-it-all asshole for once,” Lena retorts, mindlessly flipping through some paperwork. “Was there anything else, Sam? I need to get this proposal done before I leave.”

“No, no, nothing,” Sam says nonchalantly. “I’m just happy for you, that’s all.”

Lena looks up at Sam’s sincere face and sighs. “Thanks, Sam. It’s nice to have another friend who doesn’t bust my balls daily.”

Sam snorts. “You love it. All right, I’ll leave you alone. Say ‘hi’ to Kara for me.” Lena waves her off and continues working on her proposal. When it hits five o’ clock, it’s Kara’s cue to send her a text message, saying she’s waiting for Lena outside. She gathers her things and makes her way out the front of the building, Kara was standing outside, smiling.

“Ready to go, boss?”

Lena grins. “I’m not your boss.”

“No, but you’re _a _boss, so it’s close enough.” They walk side-by-side down the street. Lena somehow agreed to allow Kara to walk them to a coffeeshop nearby that supposedly has the best pierogies before they drive to Kara’s apartment. Once they have their delicious potato pouches, Lena calls her driver to come pick them up and Kara gives her address. Once they arrive, Kara tells Lena to make herself at home and she waltzes off to her bedroom to change. She comes back out with a pair of sweats and a hoodie, holding it out for Lena.

“What’s this for?”

“Lena, are you really going to watch _The Mummy_ wearing clothes that cost more than this apartment?”

Lena considers it for a minute, but takes the clothes and retreats into the bathroom. Kara orders them a pizza (or three) and loads the disc into the player while she waits for Lena. She feels nervous having Lena there. Not many people spend time with her in her apartment, besides Alex. She’s usually going to other people’s places, so she isn’t really sure what a good host is supposed to do, so she sits down on the couch and bounces her leg, wondering if she should put out some grapes, or something. When Lena walks back out wearing Kara’s borrowed clothes, her breath catches in her chest at the sight.

“What? I look ridiculous, don’t I,” Lena says, looking down at herself.

“N-no, not at all. You look comfortable. Er, do you want anything to drink? I have water or I might have a bottle of wine from three years ago when Ms. Grant shoved it in my arms at a gala one time and told me to run. I still never found out what that was all about.”

Lena smiles as she sits down on the couch. “Let’s pop that bottle open.” Kara hops up and digs the bottle out of one of the cupboards and realizes she doesn’t own a corkscrew. She turns her back to Lena to block herself and just rips the cork right out with a _pop_ and pours some into some regular juice glasses.

“Sorry, I don’t own any wine glasses,” she says, handing one to Lena.

“It’s fine, not a big deal.”

“I’m sorry, I just feel really unprepared for this and I was the one who invited you here.”

“Kara,” Lena says reaching over and putting a hand on top of Kara’s. “Don’t worry about it. This is just a casual movie night, okay? Relax.”

“Casual, right,” Kara says, hiding her disappointment with a bright smile. She sips the wine and grimaces. “This isn’t very good, is it.”

Lena laughs. “No, it’s not the best wine I’ve ever had.” Kara imagines all of the different expensive wines Lena’s probably tried all around the world and it makes her head swim. Sometimes she forgets that Lena’s – well, Lex’s – company is worth billions and that she’s successful in her own right. Lena takes another sip of the bad wine and Kara winces.

“You don’t have to keep drinking it. I can go out and buy something else.”

Lena shakes her head. “It’s okay, Kara. I promise. Let’s just start the movie.” Kara relents and picks up the remote, turning on all of the devices. She really wants to talk about what happened after the party, their almost-kiss, her confessing her feelings like a teenager telling their crush that they really _really_ like someone else and if they’d like to go steady. After it happened, Kara went home and face-planted right onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Alex found her the next morning and poked her in the side until she told her what was wrong.

This time, though, she stays quiet, doesn’t mention that night or the kiss, because she doesn’t want to scare Lena away. Alex tried to tell her to just be confident, the same way she’s confident whenever she uses her powers, which is easier said than done. She can’t just freeze breath her way into Lena’s heart.

The pizza arrives and thankfully gives Kara something else to think about. When Lena questions Kara on the amount of food she ordered, she uses the excuse that she didn’t know what toppings Lena liked, so she got a variety. They end up watching both _The Mummy_ and _The Mummy Returns_, but Kara tells Lena that she likes to ignore the existence of the Scorpion King movie.

“Rachel Weisz sure has aged well, hasn’t she,” Lena mentions casually while taking a bite of her pizza.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, definitely. She’s really attractive.”

“Is she your type?”

Kara sputters and nearly shoves the entire slice of pizza in her mouth to avoid answering the question, but she doesn’t. “I, um, I suppose so? I mean, she’s really pretty and seems like the type of person who doesn’t take any crap from anyone.”

“Ah, so you like strong women,” Lena replies flirtatiously, the bad wine starting to affect her.

“Sure?” Kara squeaks. “I guess I like women who can hold their own, like in a boardroom, for example.” It’s Lena’s turn to sputter and blush and Kara smiles to herself, mentally patting her on the back.

“Right, well, I do have a lot of practice holding my own in front of stuffy old white men.”

“Should we talk about what happened after the gala?”

Lena sips her wine, avoiding eye contact with Kara. “You mean when I was too drunk to drive my very expensive car and we sobered up on a dock?”

“Well, yes, but I mean what I said and what almost happened.”

Lena sighs and clears her throat. “When you told me you liked me and we almost got kicked out of the dock?”

“Yeah, that,” Kara replies. Maybe she misread the situation and it wasn’t an almost kiss. Kara chastises herself for seeing something that wasn’t there. “There’s no pressure and it’s totally okay if you don’t feel the same way. I like being friends with you and we have fun together, so, you know.” Lena looks up at her, finally, and sets her wine juice cup down. She angles herself toward Kara and brushes her thumb across the blonde’s cheek.

“I just need time, Kara. I’m not good at this and I don’t want to mess things up with you. Can we keep doing what we’re doing with the lunches and movie nights? I’ll tell you when I’m ready to talk about it more.”

“Of course, that’s-that’s perfectly fine. Take all the time you need,” Kara smiles kindly, her eyes dancing around Lena’s face, trying to map it to her brain directly. Then, Lena surprises her and leans in to kiss her cheek where her thumb just was and Kara feels her entire body tingle. They finish out the night after Kara makes them ice cream sundaes and she adds way too much whipped cream to both of them that it topples over the sides when she adds the cherry.

True to her word, Kara doesn’t push the issue again and she and Lena keep hanging out, sometimes with Sam joining them. Kara stands up to buy them another round of drinks when Sam leans in close to Lena.

“The two of you seem to be doing well. Anything I should know about?”

Lena snorts. “No, Sam. There’s nothing to tell.”

“If you say so. I’m just saying that I feel like the third wheel here by the way the two of you are mooning over each other.”

“I’m not mooning! I don’t _moon_,” Lena exclaims and then realizes she’s in public. “We’re still just friends, honest. I told her that I needed some time.”

“Time for what? You’ve been spending all of your free time together, you’ve spent the night there already. Why don’t you go for it? She’s clearly interested. Hell, she _told you_ that she was. I’d kill to have someone like her look at me the way she looks at you.”

Lena turns an empty glass with her fingers. “You know my track record. I’m just making sure I’m ready.”

“So, you’re scared,” Sam deduces. “Honestly, Lena, you’ve got one of the hottest women in National City begging to take you out and make an honest woman out of you and you’re stringing her along like a wayward puppy.”

“I’m not stringing her along, I just don’t want to jump into things too quickly.”

Her friend gives her a sympathetic look. “Lena, you’re only here for the summer and then you’re back off to Metropolis. It can just be a summer fling, if that’s what you want.”

Lena looks toward the bar and watches Kara order their drinks, chatting up the bartender with ease. “You think Kara is someone who does flings? She’s someone who marries her high school sweetheart and has 2.5 children.”

“Well, unless you know something I don’t, she’s out of high school, not married, and pretty sure she doesn’t have any children. I think she might surprise you. Give her a chance.”

“Well, it _would_ make my mother furious,” Lena says with a laugh. Kara comes back juggling three glasses in her hands and sets them down on the small circular table.

“What are you two planning? You’re looking suspicious.”

“Oh, nothing,” Sam replies, “just trying to get Lena to try something new.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Kara says, sipping her drink.

After two more rounds of drinks, Sam heads home. Lena and Kara stay behind and take a walk down one of the quieter streets near the bar.

“This was fun,” Kara says, smelling the night air.

“It was,” replies Lena, a little wobbly on her inebriated feet. Kara puts a steady arm around her shoulder and Lena huddles in closer. “Kara, I want to ask you something and I need you to be honest.”

“Okay, sure.”

“If we were to start something romantically, knowing that I would be moving in a few months, would you still want to do it?”

Absolutely,” Kara replies with no hesitation.

“Even if it means ending things after those few months?”

Kara stops and turns to face Lena, putting her hands on her shoulders. “I would want to be with you however long you’ll have me. If that means a week or three months, I’m in.”

“Okay, but you—“

Kara cuts her off by pressing her lips into Lena’s, one hand cradling her by the back of the neck and the other pulling her in close by her waist. Lena sucks in a surprised breath and waits for Kara to deepen the kiss, or open her mouth, or something, but she’s frustratingly chaste and respectful. The kiss breaks far too soon and Kara leans her forehead against Lena’s, taking a sobering breath.

“Was that the new thing Sam was trying to convince you to start?”

Lena laughs. “Yeah, that was it.”

“Well, like I said, I’m in this for however long you want it to go,” she kisses Lena again and takes a step back. They make an agreement that night, that it would go on for as long as Lena was in National City and once she had to move back, they’d end things. Of course, it isn’t an ideal situation, but Kara is so emphatically and hopelessly taken by Lena, it’ll have to be good enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all like angst.

If Lena would have been told that she’d find herself in a whirlwind romance after she moved to National City, she’d think whoever told her that was crazy. But, there she is, on a Wednesday, stopping by Kara’s favorite coffee shop to get her favorite pastries before heading to her workplace to drop them off, just because she wants to. The click of her heels echo down the long hallway on the way to Kara’s desk and she knows she’s getting looks from other employees she passes, but she doesn’t let it deter her.

Walking up to Kara’s desk, Lena smiles to herself when she sees Kara working hard, typing away at her story and she doesn’t even notice her. She plops the paper bag on top of Kara’s keyboard and it causes her to jump. Her frown instantly turns in to a bright smile.

“Lena! What are you doing here?”

“What, I can’t pay my favorite person a visit at her place of employment?” Kara stands up and plants a kiss on Lena before realizing she’s surrounded by people and blushes profusely.

“Hey, I was wondering if you were free tonight after work. The National City orchestra is having a concert tonight and thought we could go.”

“Oh, I would love to, but today is when I go read to patients at the hospital. I don’t want to disappoint them.”

“You… read to patients?”

Kara nods. “Yeah! I’ve read that it can lift their spirits and make healing move faster. I figure there’s no harm in it, so might as well try.”

“That’s so,” Lena pauses. She honestly wants to take Kara right there on her office desk, but not with so many pairs of eyes watching, “That’s so wonderful. You’re a good person, Kara.”

What Kara doesn’t tell Lena is that she usually goes to read as Supergirl, but she’ll have to just go as Kara this time. The blonde shrugs. “I like to help. Maybe you should come with me. You have a really nice voice; I’d bet the patients would love to hear you read to them.”

Lena considers it, but thinks about all of the work she could be doing instead. One look at Kara’s expectant face ruins all of those plans, though, and she agrees. Kara claps excitedly and kisses Lena once more before sending her on her way.

Later that morning, Kara texts her to tell her that the pastries she brought were amazing and it must have been an extra successful batch. She smiles at her phone just as Sam walks in.

“A smile like that either means you heard from Kara or your mother is upset about something you’ve done.”

Lena rolls her eyes. “I stopped by CatCo this morning and took Kara some scones from that place she likes. We’re going to go read to hospital patients later today after work.”

Sam raises an eyebrow. “Charity work that isn’t sanctioned by LuthorCorp? What has she done to you?”

Lena rolls her eyes and throws a pen at her friend. “Maybe I should have Kara set you up with her sister. Then you can stop giving me such a hard time.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I’ll just bombard you about stories about how much sex we have.”

Lena groans. “You’re the worst.”

“Speaking of which, have you and Kara slept together yet?”

“No, I’m—we’re waiting.”

Sam scoffs. “Waiting for what? You don’t have a whole lot of time. You should get in as much as you can now. I’ll bet she’s a screamer.”

“Jesus, Sam. Do you have to be so vulgar?”

“Hey, I’m just saying you don’t have an infinite amount of time left together, so you might as well try to get as many orgasms out of her as you can.”

Lena throws another pen.

* * *

Lena meets Kara outside of the hospital after work and they go inside together. Kara has an armful of books, some novels and others children’s books. She hands a few to Lena to hold and they stop in the children’s ward first. The group of kids ask where Supergirl is, but Kara makes the excuse that she had to go fight bad guys and sent her instead. They immediately forget all about it once Kara starts reading and uses funny voices for the characters. The last child they visit in a shy boy who didn’t want to join the rest of the group, so Kara sits at his bedside and reads him a story, then signs his cast afterwards. Lena starts to feel something in the lowest pit of her stomach and it rises up into her chest, something she doesn’t want to give a name to. They move onto the adult side and Kara holds her hand out for Lena to take.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too, it’s been surprisingly fun,” Lena replies with a smile as she squeezes Kara’s hand tighter. They arrive at the next room and there’s an older woman sitting in a wheelchair, facing the window. She doesn’t turn around when they enter, but Kara clears her throat and the woman startles.

“Hello?” she says.

“Hi, Harriet. Remember me? I’m Kara Danvers. I’m here to read to you today, is that okay?”

“Read? Oh, sure, that sounds lovely. I love those romance novels.” Kara smiles and the two of them sit on the bed across from Harriet. Kara opens to the first page of one of her books and begins reading. They get three chapters in before one of the nurses interrupts them and says it’s time for Harriet’s bedtime. The two excuse themselves and head toward the exit.

“Harriet seems like a nice woman,” Lena notes.

“Yeah, she’s great. Just has a hard time remembering things sometimes, but I like reading to her. She really gets into it.”

When they get outside, Kara walks Lena to her car – this time a Mercedes, which isn’t quite as expensive as her Aston Martin. The chirp of the alarm sounds off, indicating the doors have been unlocked and Lena turns to face Kara before opening her car door.

“Kara, we’ve been officially seeing each other for a couple weeks now.”

“We have,” Kara replies.

“God, this is embarrassing, but I’m just going to say it. Why don’t you want to have sex with me?”

Kara’s mouth drops open and her eyes look like they’re going to fall out of their sockets. “I—what—_gosh_. Um, well, it’s not that I don’t want to. I just didn’t want to pressure you or seem too eager, I guess. But, believe me, I want to. I mean, look at you.”

Lena feels a heat rise up to her cheeks and also fall to other parts of her body. She cups Kara’s cheek and kisses the corner of her mouth before whispering, “Then perhaps we should see each other again very soon.” Kara shivers and nods silently. Lena smiles seductively and opens the door before climbing into the leather seat. She starts the engine and rolls down the window, Kara still standing stock still in the same place.

“Goodnight, darling,” Lena says and Kara steps aside, so she can back out of the parking space.

“Goodnight,” she replies dumbly and watches Lena speed off. “Golly,” she says breathlessly to no one but herself.

* * *

After the night at the hospital, Kara and Lena agree to meet up that weekend and Lena’s buzzing with excitement. Sam’s been giving her pointers all week, much to her chagrin, but she supposes it’s a better option than watching porn or reading scientific journals on how to please a woman in bed. She’s about to pack up for the night when the door to her office swings open. The only person allowed to do that is Sam and she’s already gone home.

“What do you think you’re doing, Lena?”

Lena grits her teeth. “Mother.”

“Fraternizing with that—that _journalist_? And a woman, at that! What are you thinking?”

“It’s really none of your business who I spend my time with. You’re lucky I’m not fraternizing with enemy countries like Lex did. Wouldn’t want you to have two children on the run.”

“You will end whatever is happening between the two of you,” Lillian warns.

“Or else what?” Lena challenges, crossing her arms.

“Where do you think you’re getting all of that grant money for your research? Who do you think provides it? It doesn’t just appear out of thin air.”

Lena clenches her jaw and feels her face heating up with anger. Her mother always does this, tries to control every aspect of her life and she’s tired of it.

“What I do and who I spend my time with is no concern of yours. Honestly, mother, it’s not the middle ages. You can’t just marry me off to some abusive oaf for a dowry and some land. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a dinner to get to.”

She picks up her bag and strides out of her office, not taking one more look at her overbearing mother. She texts Kara, telling her she’s on her way to the restaurant. By the time she gets there, Kara’s already waiting for her at their private table and Lena immediately feels better when she sees Kara’s face. The waiter takes their drink order and Kara greets her with a kiss.

“You look upset. Is everything okay?”

Lena forces herself to smile. “It’s nothing, let’s just enjoy tonight.” Kara nods and picks up the menu. When the waiter comes back with the wine, he offers some for Lena to try and she nods her approval.

“That’s a good choice, dear,” Lena’s spine straightens up as Lillian walks over to Kara’s side of the table. “Oh, you must be my daughter’s new conquest. I’m her mother, Lillian.”

“Are you following me now? That’s a new low,” Lena spits.

“Just seeing who’s occupying all of my daughter’s free time when she has a company to run.”

Kara looks between the two women nervously. “Um, hi. I’m Kara Danvers.”

“Yes, the journalist. New promotion, right? Happened right after your interview with my daughter. I’ve noticed you get a lot of exclusive interviews with Supergirl.”

“Yes, that’s right. Lena and a few others helped me network and get my name out there, so Ms. Grant promoted me and I am good friends with Supergirl, yes.” Lena looks at Kara like this is brand new information.

Lillian smiles slyly. “And what were you before that? Her assistant? What does a job like that pay?”

“Mother,” Lena huffs out a warning.

Kara shrugs. “It paid well enough.”

Lillian hums. “And you think you’re good enough for my daughter?”

A frown forms across Kara’s face like she knows what’s going on now. “I think I make your daughter happy and that it’s her decision whether or not I’m good enough for her.”

Lillian bursts out a laugh. “Is that what you think? My dear, you have no idea how the world works, do you? Lena will marry someone as equally powerful, perhaps a diplomat or another CEO, preferably a _man_. Jack Spheer always was a good candidate for that. If they merge their two companies, we’ll be the most powerful tech researchers in the entire world. What will she have if she marries someone like you? A nice quote in a fluffy article on how she’s changing the world?”

“Mother, that’s enough,” Lena cautions, her voice low.

“Oh, I’m just getting started. Did you know Lena was actually engaged to Jack? They broke it off right before she moved here, because she’s so stubborn, but luckily, he didn’t shut down the merger, because he’s still madly in love with her. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll see reason soon enough and go crawling back to him once she realizes what she’s given up.”

Kara swallows thickly. “I think you should leave, Mrs. Luthor.”

Lillian smiles smugly and looks once more at Lena, who’s stewing and doing her best to hold her tongue in public. “Well, a journalist isn’t good enough for my daughter and an alien definitely isn’t. Would you like to know why Miss Danvers here gets so many exclusive interviews with Supergirl? Why don’t you ask her to take off her glasses?” Lena looks at Kara questioningly and Kara averts her eyes. “Enjoy your dinner.” Lillian leaves the restaurant and Lena takes a deep breath before reaching over to Kara, but she takes her hand away and stands up.

“Suddenly, I’ve lost my appetite.” She storms off toward the exit and Lena rushes after her, out into the street.

“Kara, wait!”

“When were you going to tell me about you and Jack?”

“I didn’t think it mattered. It’s over and I have no desire to be back with him,” Lena takes a timid step forward. “Is she telling the truth? Are you _her?_”

“I don’t think this is going to work.”

Lena scoffs, knitting her eyebrows together. “Wait, you’re serious?”

“Your mom’s right, I’m no match for someone like Jack; I can’t measure up and I have nothing to offer you, Lena.” She reaches up and slowly removes her glasses. “And, yeah, I’m her. I’m Supergirl.”

“I can’t believe this,” Lena says incredulously. “You think I care about how much money you have? Or that you’re not human? You could have told me.”

“You’re better off, Lena. This was going to end eventually, right? I mean, honestly, how far could we really have gone? I’m not human and you deserve so much better.” Kara starts taking steps away from Lena. “I really did enjoy getting to know you. You’re an incredible person and your research will help so many people. I hope Metropolis treats you well. Say ‘hi’ to Jack for me.”

Lena fights back tears as she watches Kara walk away from her. Her lip quivers and, despite her best efforts, a tear rolls down her cheek and she swipes at it angrily before walking to her car and driving home, alone.

* * *

After that night, Kara throws herself fully into superhero duties, trying to keep herself occupied and her mind off of Lena. She doesn’t care about what Clark said and she’s out there during the daylight, too, rescuing flood victims, saving school buses. Supergirl is on the news more and more and Kara has more stories to write for Snapper than she can handle. She gets home one night and there’s a package waiting for her with a note.

_I’ve been keeping up with your progress, you’ve been doing a lot of good things out there. I’m proud of you. -Kal_

Kara rips open the package and inside is her own super-suit with the _el mayarah_ emblazoned across the chest. She tries it on and immediately goes to show Alex, who’s been supportive of her sister’s vigilantism, but cautious about it at the same time.

“You know I love you, right?” Alex says.

“I’m not doing this because of Lena,” Kara replies, knowing what her sister is going to say. “I always said I wanted to use my powers to help out more.”

“Yeah, but it’s all you’ve been doing. Do you even sleep?”

“Sure, I sleep,” Kara answers, “at my desk at work,” she adds softly.

Alex rolls her eyes and walks over to her refrigerator. She pulls out two cartons of ice cream from the freezer and throws one at Kara. “I think it’s great that you’re doing more to help, but sometimes I wish you’d sit in your pajamas and eat ice cream while watching sad movies like a regular human.”

Kara playfully pushes Alex with her feet as she opens the top off the ice cream carton and digs her spoon into the top.

“Why don’t you come with me to Mom’s this weekend? It’s been a while since we’ve gone to Midvale together. It might be good for you to get out of the city.”

“Yeah, maybe. I’ll think about it.”

After Alex goes home, Kara leaves her apartment to go patrolling, absolutely not to go check on Lena. She isn’t even going in that direction of the city, but if patrolling just so happens to take her to that part of the neighborhood, there wouldn’t be any harm in seeing what she’s up to, right? Right. Her patrols always just so happened to lead her to either LuthorCorp or Lena’s apartment out of pure coincidence.

That night, Kara helps someone change a flat tire and frees a deer from a fence. While she’s flying around, she ends up at Lena’s apartment and perches herself on the balcony and peers inside. She sees Lena sitting on her sofa, reading something. Looking closer, she sees it’s the book that they read to Harriet at the hospital and her chest tightens. Before Lena can spot her, she flies away, so she can find somewhere to mope by herself.

Kara takes Alex up on her offer to visit their mom in Midvale out on the coast and it really is just what she needed. The crisp ocean air hits her face as she lets the water and sand wash over her feet. Her mother, Eliza, walks out with a blanket and drapes it over Kara’s shoulders, even though she knows she doesn’t really need it.

“Alex told me about Lena. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

Kara shrugs. “It was never going to last very long. Maybe her mother’s disapproval was a blessing in disguise. It stopped us before we even started. It probably would have hurt more if I had to watch her move back to Metropolis.”

“No, I don’t believe that. When you told me about her over the phone, you sounded so happy. You two were good for each other, even if it was only going to last for a few months.”

“But I have nothing to give her, no prospects, no money. I’m a nobody.”

Eliza holds Kara’s face in her hands. “You know that isn’t true. You’re _Supergirl_. You risk your life to save others daily. You’re a superhero and I am so proud of you, honey. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. I highly doubt that’s something Lena cares about.”

“I don’t know what to do. I didn’t think it would hurt this much.”

“Just give it time, honey. Keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve become such an amazing journalist, so keep up with that. But whatever you do, don’t do anything just because you’re trying to prove yourself to Lena or to her mother. You have nothing to prove.”

Kara pulls her adoptive mother into her arms and hugs her tight. “Thanks, Mom.”

Kara leaves Midvale that night and flies straight to Lena’s apartment. She lands on the balcony, but she doesn’t see Lena anywhere, or hear any heartbeats nearby. Next, she checks LuthorCorp, but she isn’t there, either. Her last option is to check with Sam, so she changes into her civilian clothes and knocks on Sam’s door. A younger girl answers.

“Oh, hi. I’m looking for your mom.”

“Mom! Your pretty friend is here,” she yells out and goes back to her video game. Sam comes down the stairs.

“Which one—oh, hi Kara.”

“I need to talk to Lena. Do you know where she is?”

Sam looks at her with a pitying look. “She moved back to Metropolis.”

“Oh, is Lex back?” Kara asks, wondering why Lena would move back early, unless it was to get away from her.

“No, she made me interim CEO of the National City branch and she’s going to continue her research, probably travel around to find more plants to test. She, um. I’m sorry, Kara. She doesn’t want you to follow her. She needs time.”

“Oh,” Kara breathes out. “Right, time. If I—do you think it would be okay if I wrote to her? You know, old fashioned letters. That way, she doesn’t have to read them, she can just return to sender or save them.”

“It wouldn’t hurt. Listen, Kara, I know what Lillian said to you, but Lena doesn’t feel that way at all. She doesn’t care what job you have or how much money is in your bank account. She just cares if you’re a good person and you are. Hang on a second.” Sam digs around in one of her drawers and takes out a tablet. She writes something on it and hands the paper to Kara. “This is her address in Metropolis. Don’t tell her I gave it to you.”

“Thank you, Sam,” Kara rushes forward and hugs her.

“Oh, okay,” she pats Kara on the back awkwardly. “Should’ve known you were a hugger.”

The next day, Kara buys a book of stamps and sits down to write the letter, which turns out to be harder than she anticipated. How was she supposed to open it? _How’s it going?_ _How’s work? So, here’s the thing, I was an idiot and I’m sorry?_

Kara sighs and lays her head on top of her arms. She ends up just going with her gut and writing a heartfelt letter, apologizing for her behavior after she met Lena’s mother. She says she acted selfishly and childishly and didn’t give Lena a chance to show her that her mother was wrong. She apologizes for running away and not trusting Lena to come to her own conclusions or trusting how she felt. She licks the envelope closed, sticks a stamp on it, and puts it in the mailbox.

This goes on for weeks. Kara writes one letter a day, but never hears back from Lena. She resists the urge to fly to Metropolis to find her, but knows that wouldn’t be well received, so she just writes and writes. Some days, it’s a letter full of mundane things, like a dog she saw in the park or what she had for lunch. Other days, it was about a story she was assigned to write, or something Alex did. She still visits Sam sometimes, because it’s like she’s a link between her and Lena, even if Kara hasn’t heard from her, and Sam tells her the same thing each time – that Lena is fine and she’s working hard at coming up with new cures. Days when Kara gets to hear news about Lena are always good ones.

News emerges that Lex Luthor is back in National City, but he’s not there to take back his company. Instead, it appears he’s there to make Supergirl’s life a living hell. He came back with weapons specially designed to fight Kryptonians, but Clark never mentioned him to her before. As far as she knew, Lex was just Lena’s disgraced brother who was fleeing from the authorities after trying to sell weapons of mass destruction to surrounding countries. Turns out, he’d been planning an attack on both her and Clark. He, for some reason, hated aliens and thought they were a pox on their world.

Kara does her best to contain the fight in a secluded area, but Lex doesn’t care about any destruction that befalls the city, so Kara tries to take it up higher, away from innocents. Lex, in his Lex-o suit, follows until they land on another planet completely. Thankfully, with all the work Supergirl had been doing around National City, she was given her own suit that would sustain the effects of space. She and Lex fight for what feels like months, but all she can think about is the letters she isn’t writing to Lena, worrying that Lena thinks she’s given up on her.

Kara follows Lex through space for days and she doesn’t realize how far out they go. Something happens when they enter a partial planet’s atmosphere and her suit’s rocket pack kicks in. They both land somewhere and it looks so familiar to her.

“Recognize this, Supergirl?”

She knows these trees, the air smells different, and the sun—

The sun is red.

“But how?” Kara continues to look around bewildered. Argo would have been destroyed along with the rest of Krypton, but it looks exactly like it. Her powers are gone and her suit only provides oxygen and the rocket pack. She no longer has her strength or speed, but Lex does as he barrels toward her and knocks her right off of her feet. His hands start to glow green and right before he points the blasters at Kara.

The blasts push her back and she falls to the floor, writhing in pain.

“What—what is that?”

He chuckles darkly and slowly walks toward her. “I see your cousin didn’t tell you about kryptonite. What else has he been keeping from you? I guess I should thank him, since it made you the easier target.” He pushes a few buttons on the console on his forearm and a beam of light shines from his chest onto Kara. “You don’t deserve these powers you have. What good are you doing with them, keeping them to yourselves?”

She screams as the light burns her skin, even through the suit, and it feels like everything is being drained from her.

“It was cute thinking you and my sister could be anything more than a human and a disgusting alien. You don’t belong on Earth. I’m going to take your powers and your blood and build an army that can protect our world from invaders like you. Then I’m going to bring that army back here and destroy the rest of this planet once and for all.” He begins throwing punches at Kara’s helmet until it cracks wide open. Ripping it off of her head, he takes what looks like a syringe and sticks it into Kara’s neck, pulling her blood into a vial.

He drags Kara by her suit’s collar and throws her into a stone pillar, cracking it in half. He laughs with utter amusement. “You’re nothing without our sun. So pathetic.” He continues throwing her around and landing punches, her bones cracking and blood flowing from open cuts, when weapon blasts fly past his head. Soldiers run toward him and he jumps up, taking off into the air. Taking one last look at Kara, he grins evilly.

“I’ll tell your cousin you said ‘hello’.”

The soldiers run over to Kara and one motions to another to go find a healer. Kara’s breathing is labored and she falls unconscious as Lex disappears into the atmosphere.

She doesn’t wake for days, her body beaten and bruised, no yellow sun to heal her faster. Her eyes open and the light coming from the window hurts, so she has to turn her head. A healer is chanting something at her bedside and she groans, asking for water. The healer pours a glass and lifts Kara’s head, helping her drink. Everything hurts, she’s never felt pain like this before, even when she lived on Krypton. She has to use an aid for walking as she starts building up her muscle again. Her cuts are mostly healed, but some scars remain.

The first thing she does once she’s able to move around on her own is head to the High Council to see how it is that they all survived. The first person she recognizes is Thara, her childhood friend, who’s now become one of the top security officers. She feels a sob burst out of her as she tries to run to her friend, but her limited mobility makes that difficult. Thara closes the distance and wraps Kara up in a breath-stealing hug, both of them crying into the other’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Kara whispers, gripping onto Thara’s uniform. “I thought you were gone. I thought all of you were gone.” They sit down and talk once they’ve calmed down enough to speak. Thara explains how Alura and Zor-El created a protective barrier around the city, but they couldn’t protect the rest of the planet. If the capitol was safe, at least they could start rebuilding. They’d still sent Kara to Earth, because it was safer and they didn’t know if Argo City would survive the aftermath.

“Are my parents…” Kara couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, but she knows the answer when she sees the look on Thara’s face.

“They were making sure all of the council members and selected citizens were inside of Argo safely when they explosion went off. They didn’t make it back in time. They were heroes. They saved us.”

Kara sniffles and nods, wiping her eyes with her shirt sleeve. She’s wearing a traditional Kryptonian robe in blue, the color of the science guild. They walk up to the council hall and Thara leaves Kara to speak with the members. She explains that she needs to get back to Earth to help her cousin, because Lex was going back there to kill him. They tell her that they have no working pods left after Krypton perished and that it would take them a while to build new ones. When she asked if she would be able to speak to anyone on Earth, they told her that their city had all of its communications cut off.

Kara’s frustration shows on her face and she asks if she can at least send a message via an archaic messenger pod and they give her permission to do so. She sends word to Alex to tell her that she’s okay and stuck on Argo, but she’ll work day and night until she can get back and she sends a letter to Lena, because she’s missed so many days. She spends all of her free time building a pod or fortifying the city in case Lex comes back. She and Thara speak more, learning about each other’s lives. It’s nice having someone to talk to about Krypton; Clark had been too young to remember any of it.

Almost a year after Kara landed in Argo, she receives a mysterious message. It says that Earth is in the middle of a war between humans and aliens, thanks to Lex. It’s signed by Lillian, which makes no sense, considering Lillian despises her. She continues reading it and Lillian says that despite what it may look like, she does love her daughter and Supergirl is the only way for Earth to survive the same fate that Krypton did, as her son seems hellbent on destroying every last alien on the planet, even if that means destroying it in the process. She tells Kara that she will provide any assistance she may need and to come see her when she’s back.

Kara had nearly forgotten why she was trying to get back to Earth, she’d become comfortable in Argo, among her people. She felt something building between her and Thara, similar to what she felt for Lena, but as she reads the message, her sense of duty and loyalty to the people of Earth kicks back in and she realizes she’s been so foolish. She’d forgotten her family. She’d forgotten Lena.

“I have to go back,” she says solemnly, not meeting Thara’s eyes.

“I know,” her friend replies, squeezing her hand. “You have people there and they need you.”

“Come with me,” Kara pleads, squeezing the hand back. “We can make you a pod, too. You can fight alongside me. It’s incredible, Thara. The powers we have underneath a yellow sun is unlike anything you’ll ever feel.”

Thara shakes her head and cups one of Kara’s cheeks. “My place is here, _zrhueiao_. I need to protect the Kryptonians here until we can rebuild and repopulate. You need to go, though. Save your people. Save Lena.” She kisses her then, her lips soft against Kara’s. When she pulls back, she smiles. “The elders never taught us about what to do about our feelings. Our mates were never chosen based on love, but you have a chance to choose yours, Kara. Don’t let her get away.”

Kara finishes building her pod with Thara’s help. She says goodbye to the High Council and to her friend, vowing to return to help them rebuild. She punches in the coordinates for Metropolis and lets the computer initiate the cryo-freeze for the long trip back to Earth.

* * *

Lena hurries down a long corridor, tablet in hand, and unlocks a door with a keycard.

“I’ve done it,” she announces. She slaps the tablet down in front of Jack and he reads over her calculations and he smiles.

“You did it. I can’t believe it.” He scoops her up in his arms and kisses her. “You are brilliant. Let’s celebrate!” He jumps up and pulls a bottle of expensive bourbon out of his cupboard and pulls out two glasses for both of them. He pours them both a drink and holds up his glass.

“To my gorgeous, genius of a girlfriend, who has just cracked the code that saved the human race.

Lena ducks her head. “I wouldn’t go that far. All I did was figure out a way to make all of Lex’s suits basically become glorified windbreakers.”

“You’ve saved this planet, darling. Don’t sell yourself short,” Jack says, leaning in for another kiss.

The lab door opens suddenly, startling both of them apart, and Lillian walks in, her brows creased together, looking like she’s about to murder someone.

“Mother, what—” and then she sees her, her face turning white as a sheet and all of her breath leaves her lungs. “Supergirl?”


	4. Chapter 4

Kara walks forward, standing next to Lillian. Her eyes shift between Jack and Lena and she notices how close they’re sitting. She clenches her jaw and waits for someone else to say something.

Thankfully, Lillian is there to rescue them all from the awkward silence. “Look who I found on my way to the lawyer’s office.”

Lena stands and takes a step away from Jack. “How—where have you been?”

“I was stuck in Argo City after fighting your brother. I sent you a letter, but I’m assuming you just ignored it like all the others.” Lena looks at her like she has no idea what she’s talking about and Lillian walks over to Jack.

“Come on, let’s give them some time to get reacquainted.” She drags him out of the room and shuts the door behind them.

“Letter? What letter?” Lena asks, crossing her arms.

Kara scoffs. “I got your address in Metropolis and I sent you a letter _every day_. I didn’t want it to be over, Lena, but you moved without telling me and I thought you wanted space, so I gave it to you.”

Lena shakes her head in disbelief. “My mother probably intercepted them. I never got any of them. She knew not hearing from you would eventually push me back to Jack.”

“So, you are with him?”

“You were gone for over a year, Kara. I didn’t know where you were. No one had heard from you, you weren’t in the news. I didn’t know if you were even alive.”

Kara laughs sardonically. “Maybe I should have died. Maybe I should have let Lex kill me.” Lena knits her brows together and reaches out to touch Kara’s cheek, but she jerks her head away. “I’m-I’m going to go. I haven’t even gone to see Alex or my mom yet.” She turns to leave and Lena calls out her name.

“I didn’t want it to be over, either. I loved you,” Lena admits, feeling her eyes start to burn. Kara doesn’t say anything and walks out the door, leaving Lena to brace herself on one of the tables, sobs wracking her body until she has to sit down.

Kara flies all the way back to National City to look for Alex. On the way there, she can see all of the devastation and destruction that Lex and his army have caused in her absence. She wonders where Clark is and what he’s been doing to fight against it. When she arrives at Alex’s apartment, she knocks on the door softly. It takes a moment, but the door opens and Alex looks up at her with wide eyes, which immediately fill with tears and she’s throwing herself into Kara’s arms.

“Oh, my god. Oh, my god, Kara.”

“I couldn’t get back,” Kara whispers into Alex’s hair. “But, Alex, Argo City survived. I’m not the last one. They’re-they’re trying to rebuild the city and—”

“Kara, Kara stop,” Alex interrupts her. She brushes a lock of hair behind Kara’s ear and gives her a watery smile. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” Kara replies, hugging Alex again. She stays there that night, since her apartment was already leased out to someone else. Alex went there with her mom to pack everything up and moved it into storage. They video chat with Eliza and their mom cries when she sees both of them together. Alex catches Kara up on everything that’s been happening. She’d been recruited by an organization called the DEO and they help maintain alien attacks, but they’ve also been conscripted to help fight against Lex’s genocidal attack. She gets in contact with Clark and asks how she can help. He says he’s been working with Lena and Jack, using their combined resources and developing new technology to use against Lex, and that they’ve just figured out a way to emit a blast, almost like an EMP that will render his suits useless. Kara asks if it will affect them in any way, and he says it may cause them to solar flare, but the effects will only be temporary.

She tells him that it’s her fault Lex was able to build the suits. She’d failed in Argo, allowed him to absorb her powers and take her blood, but he tells her that it wasn’t her fault and she was at a disadvantage, since his suit wasn’t affected by the change in suns. Still, she blamed herself for not stopping him and all of the casualties thus far could have been prevented.

Lena tries to get in contact with her through Alex, but Kara ignores the messages.

“You can’t ignore her forever, you know,” Alex says.

“Sure, I can,” Kara replies, sticking half of a granola bar in her mouth, hoping she won’t have to keep talking about it if her mouth is full.

“She told you she loves you. That’s a big deal.”

Kara swallows and sighs. “Loved, past tense. Besides, she’s with Jack now, it doesn’t matter.”

“It matters if you still have feelings for her.”

“Well, I don’t,” Kara replies, nearly convincing herself. She’s been gone so long, busy rebuilding Argo City, busy forgetting about Lena and her mother, forgetting that she wasn’t normal. Being on what was left of Krypton made her feel normal, being around Thara made her feel normal. Being around Lena just made her feel inadequate, like she’d never be good enough, regardless of being a superhero or a successful journalist. Plus, Lena is with Jack, she reminds herself.

The next day, she goes to visit Sam, who practically throws herself into Kara’s arms.

“Where the hell have you been, Danvers? I know Lena broke your heart, but Christ, you didn’t have to disappear on all of us.”

Kara smiled and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Sam. I should have told you. I, um, I had some things to work out.” They walk inside and sit down in the living room.

“You missed a lot while you were gone. As you can see, we’re pretty much in a civil war. I’ve been doing my best to keep L-Corp afloat. Lena changed the name once Lex came back with his army of alien murderers. She didn’t give me any details, but she told me you were involved with the resistance.”

“Something like that,” Kara replies, rubbing the back of her neck. “There’s, um, something I need to tell you.” She slowly removes her glasses and takes out her ponytail. Sam’s eyes grow wide and a smile slowly forms across her face.

“I knew it,” she whispers. “I fucking knew it! Oh wow, Ruby is going to be so stoked. A lot of things make sense now.”

“Like what?” Kara asks, putting her glasses back on.

“Well, for starters, the way you got exclusive interviews with Supergirl. Also, the way Lena acted after the two of you split. She started working on a lot of alien tech, things to help Superman, probably because she didn’t get the chance to make them for you. She missed you, you know.”

“Is that why she moved away and told me not to follow her?” Kara asked, the sting of their not-quite-break-up still stabbing at her chest.

“She did that to protect herself. You left her at the restaurant, wouldn’t give her the chance to explain. She thought it would be easier to give it a clean break, go back to work and pretend it never happened. She hasn’t had the easiest time with romance.”

“Yeah, well, she’s not the only one,” Kara mutters. “Anyway, I just came by to see how you were. I should probably get going, got a xenophobic maniac to catch.” She stands up and heads for the door. Sam follows her as Kara opens the door. “It was good seeing you, Sam. Stay safe.”

She turns to leave and Sam grabs her shoulder. “Kara, wait—“

Kara turns her head to the side. “If you’re going to tell me she still loves me, don’t.”

“No, I was going to tell you to go kick Lex Luthor’s ass,” Sam smirks. “And it’s my duty as her best - well, only friend, to tell you not to blame her.”

“I don’t,” Kara says in a low voice as she walks away.

* * *

Kara meets Alex at the DEO headquarters and is introduced to the acting director, J’onn J’onzz. They go over what their organization has been doing to fight Lex and the other aliens they’ve recruited, those who aren’t trying to fight on their own.

“We have something for you,” Alex tells Kara, motioning to another room. Kara follows her and they stop in front of a glass case. Inside hangs a blue and red suit, much like her old one, but with a raised insignia on the chest and the material looks a little different. “Um, Lena made it... for you, for when you came back. Superman has one, too. Why don’t you try it on and I’ll show you what she added?”

Kara takes the suit and quickly changes in one of the back rooms. It fits perfectly and she wonders how Lena knew what size to make it. She also feels something akin to pride, or perhaps sorrow. Lena still thought of her, even while she was gone. Thought of her enough to make a suit in case she came back. She has to remind herself over and over again that she’s with Jack now. What they had is over, but it’s difficult, so she throws herself back into being a superhero. She talks to Clark about their plans and how they’re going to implement the new technology that L-Corp and Spheerical Industries have developed.

She’s walking back from training when she nearly bumps into someone while rounding a corner.

“Jesus!” the other person yelps.

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry,” Kara fires off, ready to apologize, but she sees those familiar green eyes staring at her and then looking at everything but her. “Lena, what are you doing here?” It sounds more accusatory than she intends, but the tone clearly makes it to Lena’s ears.

“I work here sometimes. Is that going to be a problem?”

“No, no problems here.”

They awkwardly stand in front of each other for a few seconds before talking at the same time.

“Thank you for the suit.”

“I thought you were dead.”

Kara knits her eyebrows together. “What?”

Lena takes a deep and sobering breath. “I thought you were dead. It-I thought I lost you, Kara, and I didn’t even get to tell you how I felt.

“And now you’re with Jack,” Kara adds, trying to keep herself stone-faced. Lena nods. “Does he make you happy, at least?”

Lena wrings her hands. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve been happy since Lex came back, but he makes me forget.” Kara doesn’t tell her that she had someone to make her forget, too, because she wants to be mad at Lena, wants to make her the bad guy. _She_ was the one who moved on. _She_ was the one who let them go. Kara knew she should be blaming herself, because she’s the one who overreacted, but it was so much easier to blame Lena, because she has someone else. Kara has no one.

“Well, whatever works,” Kara says as she moves to continue walking past Lena.

“Kara, wait. Can we-can we talk sometime? To catch up?”

Kara turns to face Lena once more. “Your brother almost killed me and I was stuck in Argo City for over a year. I recovered and helped rebuild the capital while Lex was waging war and I couldn’t do a thing about it, because I didn’t know about it. It took a message from your mother, of all people, to get me off my ass and figure out a way to get back to Earth, and now I’m here. There, we’re caught up.”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Because pretending that we never meant anything to one another makes it hurt less,” Kara says as she walks away.

* * *

Lena’s working late in her lab after sending Jack home early. The door slides open and Lillian walks through it, holding a stack of something.

“Mother,” Lena says, not looking up from her computer screen.

“I believe these belong to you,” she says, handing over the stack. Lena takes it and sees that they’re envelopes addressed to her. She brushes her fingers across the handwriting that is so characteristically Kara’s. “I really did think I was doing what was best for you, you know. I thought that you falling in love with an alien would only bring you pain, especially when it was one who was so far into the public eye. I thought it would put you in danger, but, clearly, I was wrong. My own son, my own blood, is the one we should have been worried about.” This was the most emotion Lena’s ever seen her mother display. She didn’t even cry when her husband passed away. She holds out one more thing. “This was the message she sent from Argo, listen to that one last.”

Lillian leaves her alone then, and Lena flips through all of the letters, some of them a little more frayed than the others. Lena pushes herself away from the desk and sits down on the couch she put in the lab, for times where she slept there instead of going home. Always the overachieving hard worker. She takes the letter with the oldest postmark and sets the others aside. With a deep breath, she opens it with a letter opener and slips the folded paper out of the envelope. It doesn’t smell like Kara, or anything at all.

Her eyes graze across the lines, reading each word carefully, laughing every once in a while at one of Kara’s jokes. Then she gets to the apology. She apologized for storming off and for snapping at Lena. She said she felt like she wasn’t supported as her mother barraged her with insult after insult and Lena sat there and let her take it. And then, when Lillian exposed her as Supergirl, she knew everything would change and she was running away before it could, before Lena could leave her. Kara apologized for not giving Lena a chance, for assuming she’d be just like her family when she knew that was never the case. She said she’d spent her entire life protecting herself and building up walls between her human self and her Kryptonian self that she forgot what it felt like to be both at once.

Lena spends hours reading the letters and dawn comes before she knows it. The sun rises through the large windows and Lena finally gets to the pod message. She connects it to her computer and turns up the speakers, starting the recording.

“_Hi, Lena. It’s me. Um, I don’t know how long it’s been exactly since my last letter, because I’ve been fighting your brother across galaxies. I, um—he nearly killed me, but some soldiers saved me just in time. I’m on Argo City, can you believe it? It survived somehow. A childhood friend told me that my parents saved it, but they themselves didn’t make it. I guess it’s enough to know that they saved our people and now they’re here trying to rebuild everything from the ashes. _

_“I don’t know when I’ll make it back, or if I’ll even make it back, but I just need you to know that I love you. I should have told you. I should have done a lot of things. I’m so, so sorry for not trusting you and for running. I never should have run and I’ve regretted it every single day. I just wish I could talk to you one more time, you know? Just hear your voice. I don’t know if this message will make it to you, or if you’ll even listen to it, but I needed you to know how I feel, so maybe we can both move on._

_“Please look after my sister. I know she can take care of herself, but she’s more sensitive than she lets on. Give Sam and Ruby a hug for me. And kick your brother’s ass. ‘We don’t have time for subtle.’ I love you, Lena. Always._”

Lena’s crying by the end of the recording, full-on sobbing. She had no idea Kara felt that way about her and spent the past year thinking it was all one-sided. The letters and the recordings would have changed everything and she’s not sure she can ever forgive her mother for keeping them from her. She doesn’t hear the door to the lab open and when Jack’s hand lands on her shoulder, she jumps.

“Whoa, sorry. Hey, are you crying?”

Lena wipes her eyes. “No, I’m just sleep deprived and my eyes are watering.” She gathers all of the letters and the recording up, shoving them into a drawer.

“Have you slept at all since she came back?” Jack asks with a concerned look on his face. The silence gives him his answer and he sighs. “Listen, darling, maybe you two need to actually talk and have a conversation. It might make you feel better, give you some closure.”

Lena shakes her head and sits back at the computer. “I have nothing more to say to her.”

Jack lets out a deep breath and kisses Lena on the head before leaving the lab. Once Lena’s sure he’s gone, the tears fall all over again. Miles away, clear across the city, Kara sits in Alex’s apartment, her own tears fall down her cheeks as she listens in on Lena, both hearts breaking all together that night.

* * *

Kara throws a punch and it lands on a large cement block, breaking it in half. She throws a broken piece across the room and it shatters against a wall. She uses her heat vision to sear open an old car, cutting it in half and she slams her hands down on the hood, causing the metal to crumple beneath them.

Alex stands in the viewing window, arms crossed in front of her chest and a crinkle in her brow, as J’onn walks up behind her. “She’s been at this for hours,” the agent says. “I’ve never seen her this distraught before.”

J’onn lets out a sigh. “Well, she just found out her planet isn’t completely gone, her second home is in shambles, and the woman she loves is with someone else. I’d say it’s warranted.” Alex nods in agreement and turns around to go talk to her sister. She opens the door to the training room and walks up to Kara, who’s now sitting in front of half of a car, breathing heavily. Alex sits next to her and taps her with her foot.

“Do you think that, maybe, you should stop taking out your frustration on metal and cement and talk to her?”

“What could she possibly say that I haven’t already heard?”

“Kara, you were gone for a year. We’re all adjusting to you being back, and that includes Lena. She thought you were dead. I shouldn’t tell you this, but she called me a bunch of times, drunk off her ass, telling me everything she wished she could tell you, regretting not fighting harder for you.”

“It’s a little late,” Kara glowers, staring straight ahead at the blank concrete wall. “She gave up and ran right back to Jack, just like her mother wanted.” She throws a chunk of the car engine across the floor and huffs. Logically, she knows she’s being unfair. _She _could have fought harder, but she ran away, too. _She_ was gone. Still, the bitter feeling of being replaced still lodges itself in her heart and mind, reminding her that Lena is probably happy with Jack. She doesn’t even know if they’re engaged again or not. They probably are. They probably picked right up where they left off, him welcoming her back into his arms and his life; her, finding comfort in the familiarity, already being known by him.

“Things can change. Sam tells me Lena’s been talking to her about her and Jack, that they haven’t slept together since you got back. She’s locked herself up in her lab and has been working nonstop.”

Kara looks over her questioningly. “You talk to Sam?”

“Um, yeah, about that. Sam and I are kind of dating now.”

“You’re _dating_?” Kara exclaims. “How—when—how?!”

“I may have stormed over to L-Corp after you left and kind of yelled at Lena a little. Sam had to come calm me down and we went out for coffee and we sort of hit it off.” Kara’s mouth hangs wide open, because, first of all, she didn’t even know her sister liked women. Second of all, it’s Sam. She likes Sam, of course. Ever since their encounter at Lena’s party, Sam’s been a good friend, but this is all too weird and making her world a lot smaller.

“Why don’t we all go out to dinner, together. Sam and I will be there as a buffer and you can get out of the house.”

“I am out of the house,” Kara mutters petulantly. “And the idea of being fifth wheel is not at all appealing.”

“We can go to your favorite Chinese restaurant,” Alex sing songs enticingly. Kara frowns and then her forehead crease smooths out.

“Fine, but you’re paying.”

Somehow, Alex gets both Lena and Sam to agree. Jack’s just along for the ride, even if he thinks it’ll be the most awkward dinner he’s ever had. They sit down in a round booth, Kara and Lena sitting on the edges and avoiding each other’s glances at all costs. Alex and Sam sit next to Kara and Jack sits next to Lena. The three of them are talking and joking while Lena and Kara stay relatively silent.

“So, Kara, I hear you used to work for CatCo,” Jack says with a perfect smile and his perfect beard. Even his teeth are perfect.

“That’s right,” Kara grits out.

“Cat Grant’s definitely a force to be reckoned with,” he answers, cheerfully. “Definitely would not want to get on her bad side.”

Lena puts a hand on his forearm. “I’m going to the bathroom, be right back.” He smiles at her and she kisses him softly. Kara bends a butter knife in her hands and watches her walk off. She doesn’t know what comes over her, but she exits the booth, too, and follows Lena. Pushing the door open, she finds Lena bracing herself against the sinks. She looks up at Kara with tearful eyes. “Sorry,” she apologizes, “I’ll be right out.”

“Why didn’t we fight harder?” Kara asks, staying by the door.

“Kara…”

“If you loved me, why didn’t you fight for me? Why didn’t I fight for you? Neither one of us gives up, for anything, so why?”

“I don’t know,” Lena shakes her head.

“Do you love him?”

“Don’t ask me that,” Lena replies with her head handing between her shoulders. Kara takes a cautious step forward.

“Do you?”

“Of course I do. He’s my—he’s Jack.” She looks up at her now, eyes no longer watery. Always the stone-faced CEO, even in front of Kara.

“Good, I’m glad you’re happy.”

Lena curls the corner of her lip. “I didn’t say that.” She takes a paper towel and dabs it at the corners of her eyes. “We should get back out there before your sister gets suspicious.” She walks right past Kara and pulls the door open wide enough for Kara to exit behind her. They walk back to the booth, Sam and Alex watching them pointedly as they sit back down in their seats. Dinner ends relatively drama-free, save for Sam teasing Alex about how drunk she got when Kara first disappeared. Kara apologizes to Alex, but she dismisses it immediately, pulling her into a hug.

After that, they all get back to work to figure out how to defeat Lex. With Lena’s new technology, they stand a fighting chance. Jack flies to Metropolis to give Superman his shield while Lena stays behind to show Kara and the rest of the DEO. Everyone is fitted with vests that create blast shields and she made one especially for Kara to protect against kryptonite. They have scouts all over the country keeping tabs on Lex to find out where he’s moving to next.

After a briefing, Kara moves to leave the room when Lena walks up to her.

“Kara, can I speak with you for a minute?” Alex gives her sister a look and Kara nods, excusing her. The room is emptied out and Lena gestures toward one of the chairs, but Kara elects to remain standing, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. Lena suddenly looks as a loss for words, plucking pieces of lint off of her blouse.

“What is it? I have a lot to prepare,” Kara says impatiently.

“I know that there’s a high chance that you’ll have to kill Lex. I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to hesitate. Do what you need to do.”

“Thanks for the permission,” Kara scoffs. “Was that it?”

Lena takes a small step forward. “I don’t like fighting with you. Is there any way to fix this?”

Kara shakes her head. “I honestly don’t know. It hurts seeing you with him and I know it’s my fault, all of this is my fault, and I have to live with it. It’s just going to take some time to readjust to being back here and getting used to the changes.”

Lena reaches out and grips Kara’s arm and then moves down to her hand. It feels like fire and ice all at the same time and Kara wants to jerk her hand away, but Lena rubs her thumb over her knuckles and she longs for the touch.

“I’m the same person as before. I haven’t changed. We can still be friends, can’t we?”

Kara breathes out a humorless laugh, taking her hand back from Lena’s grip. “Yeah, sure, friends. Excuse me, I need to find out where your brother is and take a scouting unit out.” She pushes her way past Lena and leaves the conference room.

Things move quickly after that. They find Lex in a remote location on an island off the coast. He was plotting to send out more people in suits, but with Lena’s technology, both Kara and Clark are able to send out the electromagnetic wave that deactivates them, defeating his army easily. They’re able to take Lex into custody with no bloodshed and Kara’s secretly relieved. But, as suspected, the blast also causes both Kara and Clark to blow out their powers. The DEO puts them both on administrative leave for the foreseeable future and tells them they’ve got things covered.

When Kara returns to National City, she’s treated as the hero she is and the city erects a commemorative statue for both her and Lena, as well as one in Metropolis for Clark. Lena gives a speech, thanking both Kryptonians, and her eyes linger on Kara’s a little longer when she says the city loves them both and owes them their lives.

Kara takes a much-needed vacation and heads to Midvale to visit with Eliza for a while. She starts building the boat she’d always wanted, buying lumber and sanding it all down by hand. It relaxes her and calms her, taking her mind off of everything that’s happened in the past two years. She feels like Agent Gibbs from _NCIS_, building her boat to escape her feelings. 

Alex comes by once in a while to check on her, lets her know everything that’s going on back in National City. She hides the fact that Jack proposed to Lena and Lena turned it down, but Kara already knew. She watches the news. Part of her wants to feel like the reason Lena said ‘no,’ but another part of her doesn’t want to be the cause of their unhappiness.

So, she keeps working, keeps building. She ignores everything around her, hoping that she can just focus on this pile of wood and glue and nails, until she can turn it right side up and it’s able to float herself out to the middle of the ocean.

The day finally comes where her boat is complete. She’s painted it, made sure it’ll float, has all of the sails set up and tied, and has a cabin underneath.

“What are you going to name her?” Eliza asks, standing next to Kara.

“I don’t know,” Kara says. “Maybe Argo. It’s not home, but it can be.”

“Sounds perfect, honey,” Eliza says, putting an arm around Kara’s shoulder and hugging her. “Now, come have dinner before you set sail. Can’t go sailing on an empty stomach.”

Alex tells them that she’s planning on joining them, but she’ll be a little late. Something she needs to catch up on at work, she says. About a half hour later, headlights shine through the front windows of Eliza’s house and Kara gets up from the couch to meet them at the door. She can hear two voices coming from outside and her chest constricts when she recognizes the other voice. Surely, Alex wouldn’t have brought Lena over without checking with her first.

But, lo and behold, when she opens the door, she’s faced with two women, one of which looks a little embarrassed and nervous to be there. The other gives her a pointed look, as if to say _be nice_. She moves out of the way and lets both of them inside and Eliza comes to meet them.

“Oh, Lena, I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Yes, sorry, it was a last-minute decision,” Lena apologizes.

“Oh, that’s fine. There’s plenty of food. Come in. Kara, take her coat.” Kara huffs and holds out her arm for Lena to drape the coat over it, which she does, smiling sheepishly. Kara hangs it up on the rack and then follows everyone into the kitchen. Alex sits across from Kara and Lena takes the seat next to her, much to Kara's dismay. Eliza brings the food out and everyone starts to dig in. Conversation is easy, but Kara feels herself retreating into herself a little, not really engaging. She excuses herself early and heads out the back door, walking out to the pier where her boat is tied off.

She climbs on board and starts to untie it and goes to raise the anchor when she hears a soft voice behind her.

“Running away again?”

Kara feels her jaw clench and she nearly rips the anchor up with her bare hands. “I’m not running,” she says.

“Then where are you going?” Lena challenges.

“How is it any of your business?” Kara snaps. “Why are you even here?”

She steps over the side of the boat. “Jack let me go. He knew he wasn’t the one and he accepted it when I turned down his proposal. He knew it was all my mother’s scheming from the beginning, but he had hope that I would be able to love him. He just wants me to be happy.”

“He sounds like a good man,” Kara says dismissively, trying to keep her hands busy, so she doesn’t have to face Lena.

“He is,” Lena agrees. “He told me to fight for what I want, so that’s what I’m doing.” She takes both of Kara’s hands and pulls her up to face her, but Kara averts her eyes, watching the ripples in the water edge their way to shore. “Please look at me,” she begs. Kara brings her eyes up slowly to meet hers, sees the unshed tears threatening to push their way out. Lena brings a hand up and strokes Kara’s cheek and that does it. That small gesture, feeling Lena’s skin on her own, breaks her. She feels tears fall down her cheeks and Lena catches one with her thumb and swipes it away.

“I’m so sorry,” Kara chokes and Lena’s pulling her into her arms, wrapping them around her shoulders and cradling her head. “I was so stupid and mean and you didn’t deserve it.”

Lena shushes her and holds her close, rubbing circles on her back and rocking them back and forth along with the movement of the boat. Kara pulls away slowly and wipes off her face.

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” she whispers.

“Stop,” Lena says. “We were both pretty awful to each other and a lot of it had to do with us not talking to each other and my mother’s meddling. If I had known you wrote all of those letters, I would have come to you sooner and if you hadn’t had to fight Lex and gotten left on Argo, who knows what would have happened?”

“It feels like we’ve lost so much time,” Kara laments, thinking back on the time she’s been gone.

“Not that much,” Lena smiles. “We still have plenty. Give me a tour?”

Kara snorts and shows Lena the steering wheel and the sails. She offers her hand, which Lena takes readily, and they head below into the cabin, where Kara shows her the bathroom, the small kitchen, and the bed. It’s bigger than Lena thought it would be, but still cozy.

“I can’t believe you built this all from scratch,” Lena looks around in awe as she sits down on the edge of the bed.

“Helps when you have super strength and super speed, not that I used them,” Kara quips, sitting next to her, placing her hands in her lap. “I was going to leave, go wherever the winds took me, or whatever.”

“You still can,” Lena suggests, but Kara shakes her head. “Why not? What’s keeping you here?”

Kara huffs out a humorless laugh. “As if you don’t know.”

“Kara…”

“I still love you, Lena. And I’ve treated you horribly since I got back. It’s a wonder you’re still speaking to me, to be honest.”

Lena turns her body to face Kara. “You had every right to be upset. My brother attacked you and nearly killed you, drove you out of your home, stranded you on Argo. Then, when you get back, everything’s different. Anyone would have reacted the way you did.”

“I thought you were embarrassed by me,” she whispers. “That you thought your mother was right after all, and that’s why you moved and didn’t want to speak to me.”

Lena takes one of Kara’s hands in her own and rubs her thumb over the sharp knuckles. “I ran, because it was easier than letting you break my heart,” she sighs. “When you were so ready to break up with me, I thought it was me who wasn’t good enough. You didn’t even put up a fight or let me show you how wrong my mother was, so I thought you were giving up.”

“I’m such an idiot,” Kara sags her shoulders and Lena cups both of her cheeks, raising her eyes to meet her own.

“I’m willing to try again if you are.” Her eyes search Kara’s for an answer, but any reply left lodged inside of Kara’s chest and, instead, crushing lips press into hers. The kiss is feverish, desperate, a year’s worth of pain and yearning, of misjudged assumptions and miscues. She feels Kara open her mouth and trace her tongue across the seam of her lips; she splits them open, welcoming her inside. The moment she feels Kara’s tongue swipe against hers, she moans and feels a pulsing between her legs. She scoots up on the bed and pulls Kara along with her, lying back and waiting for the blonde to join her.

Kara braces both arms on each side of Lena’s head and hovers above her, hair dangling and tickling her neck. She just stares at Lena, regards her, breathes her in.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispers. Lena reaches up and rubs her thumb across Kara’s cheek, a gesture that’s become somewhat of a habit now. She moves her thumb down to graze across Kara’s lips and gasps when she watches her wrap her lips around it and suck gently. Kara releases her thumb with a _pop_ and leans in to kiss her again, moving to the long column of her neck, nipping at the skin and sucking on that one area where she knows she has a freckle.

“Kara,” Lena groans, spreading her legs wider, hoping to signal to Kara what she needs. When she feels a teasing hand on the inside of her thigh, she lets out a high moan of frustration when it stays put, not moving to where she wants it.

Kara lifts the hem of Lena’s shirt slightly, her hand ghosting across the lightly-colored skin. She feels goosebumps underneath her fingers and she moves it down again to toy with the band if Lena’s pants. “You’re so beautiful,” she whispers wistfully. Lena pulls her down into another frantic kiss, wanting to feel Kara’s weight on her. She moves one of her legs over Kara’s, tangling them together and uses her other knee to push up into Kara’s center. With a breathless moan, Kara deepens the kiss, grinding her hips down, rubbing herself on Lena’s knee. Something inside both of them is set alight and the nervous touches become sure and certain.

Kara sits up and lifts her shirt off of her body, Lena letting out a soft gasp when she sees Kara’s abdominal muscles for the first time. She touches them lightly and Kara’s body jerks at the contact. Putting her hands at the hem of her shirt, Kara asks, “May I?” Lena nods and is soon devoid of her blouse and Kara is on her with a newfound fervor, kissing every inch of exposed skin, sucking purple marks into her breasts. Kara can’t get enough, wants to be everywhere all at once, wants to make Lena feel so, so loved. She’s not going to run, never again.

They remove all of their clothing and are naked together underneath the sheets. Kara never imagined that the first time she’d use her boat bed would be while having sex with Lena. Their limbs become tangled with each other and Kara can feel Lena’s breath on her neck as she moves her hand to her hip.

“Touch me,” Lena begs, wrapping her hand around Kara’s wrist. “Please.”

“You’re sure?” Kara asks, rubbing slow, gentle circles with her thumb.

Lena nods minutely, eyes wide and full of an emotion she hasn’t felt in years. “I’m sure,” she whispers. Kara kisses her again, this time it’s gentle and soft. She’s taking her time. Her lips move to her cheek and then her jaw, hand moving lower, fingertips ghosting over the skin of her thighs. Lena lets out a huff of frustration as Kara touches her everywhere except where she wants to be, but then she lets out a high gasp when she feels fingers settle at her entrance. Kara looks at her again, eyes searching for consent and Lena nods once more.

Kara swipes her fingers through her wetness, rubbing a tight circle around her clit. Lena’s hips buck up and she throws her head back with a throaty shout. She brings her fingers back to Lena’s entrance.

“How many?”

“Two. Fuck, two,” Lena breathes. Kara’s fingers enter her then, slowly. She pauses at the second knuckle to wait for Lena to adjust and when she feels nails gently scratch the back of her neck, she continues and pushes in all the way. Kara loves the way Lena feels around her fingers and the way she feels the puffs of breath on her neck. Testing different thrusts and angles, she sees which ones cause Lena to make the most noise and sticks with that.

“Please, Kara, please, _please_,” Lena sobs into her ear, her hips meeting Kara’s hand with each downstroke. Kara starts thrusting harder and faster, bumping her thumb into Lena’s clit. She gasps when she feels a hand between her own legs and fingers searching blindly through her wetness. It’s distracting, but she keeps pumping her fingers, trying to bring Lena to her, hopefully, first of many orgasms and she hears Lena whisper _more_ into her ear and once she adds a third finger, Lena is coming with a yell. Kara grinds her hips down on Lena’s hand and comes, gripping the sheets next to Lena’s head tightly, shuddering her release on top of her.

“Holy shit,” Lena sighs, threading a hand through Kara’s hair while her breaths start to even out.

“I think I love this boat,” Kara laughs and Lena joins her in laughter. She rolls over, releasing Lena’s hand and sighs happily. Lena rolls onto her side and traces circles around Kara’s shoulder.

“So, what happens now?”

Kara turns her head and grins lopsidedly. “What do you want to happen?”

“Well, we should probably get back to your mom’s house at some point. Then we can talk, catch up. I want to hear all about Argo.”

“And I want to know how you figured out how to beat Lex’s suits.”

Lena smiles into Kara’s shoulders. “It was pretty easy. I knew he probably would have used Kryptonian technology, since he took your blood and mimicked Kryptonian powers, so I basically made a red sun EMP.”

“God, you’re so sexy when you talk science.” Lena playfully slaps her arm and Kara rolls over on top of her, peppering kisses all over her face and neck, making her laugh out loud.

After they get dressed, they head back to the house where both Eliza and Alex are sitting at the kitchen table with cups of tea and grinning at them as they walk through the door, hand-in-hand.

“What?” Kara asks. Alex just smirks and Eliza’s eyes twinkle, visibly holding back tears. Kara rolls her eyes. “Oh my god, can you not? What’s for dessert?”

* * *

They spend the rest of the week in Midvale, Kara takes Lena out sailing and they spend time together on the water, having hours and hours of mind-blowing sex. They tell each other they love one another freely, now. No more meddling mothers in their way, no galaxies keeping them apart.

Blowing out her powers, however, means that Kara is susceptible to everyday illnesses and maybe staying on a boat in the middle of fall wasn’t the best idea, because she comes down with the flu. Congested and miserable, she’s confined to her apartment, Cat Grant’s specific orders, because _I cannot afford to get sick, Kiera. The media never sleeps and neither do I._

She lies down on her couch and tries to catch up on shows she missed out on while she was in space, but she finds herself missing Lena. They’ve been texting throughout the day, but Lena’s been busy with meetings and running an entire company, so her replies are delayed.

Kara tries Alex next, but she has a full-time job and has been in charge of interrogating Lex, as well as figuring out what to do with him. Kara suggested they launch him to Fort Rozz, but him being human means he would have to be tried as a human.

There’s a knock at Kara’s door and she rolls off of the couch, bunched-up Kleenex in her hand, and hobbles her way to answer it. When she opens the door, there’s a smiling brunette staring at her and holding a bag of take-out in her hand.

“Hi, darling. I thought you could use some lunch.”

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Kara gushes.

“Nope, never,” Lena grins. She places the food on the counter and starts lining them up. “Chicken noodle soup, macaroni and cheese, and potstickers.”

Kara hugs Lena, trying not to get too close and spread her disease, which is honesty probably a lost cause, seeing how Lena can’t go a day without a kiss from her. They eat together and Kara hums happily while she finishes her second bowl of soup.

“Has Alex told you what the DEO has decided to do with Lex yet?”

Kara shakes her head. “I don’t think they know yet. They’re trying to figure out jurisdiction and everything, but since he was targeting aliens, it becomes an intergalactic issue.”

“I see. Well, they’re going to have to put him somewhere where he can’t get into anyone’s pockets. Regular prison won’t hold him.”

They come to a happy medium and put Lex in solitary, but station DEO agents in his ward. Lena doesn’t go to see him, but Lillian does. She says he isn’t at all remorseful and she regrets ever helping him. Lena’s relationship with her mother remains strained, but it’s on the way to healing, with Kara’s help and encouragement.

Kara and Lena fall into a comfortable routine between their day jobs and Kara’s superhero night job. When Kara resumes her Supergirl duties, Lena works with her to improve her suit and any other technology that may need upgrades. Both Kara and the DEO are grateful for the help.

Lena's taken over the reigns of L-Corp completely and Sam stays on board as the CFO. She's able to go back to traveling to look for new plants and minerals that may aid her company’s research and Kara tells her how proud of her she is everyday.

Lena comes home from a trip one day and finds Kara in her penthouse apartment, pacing around the living room.

“Kara? What’s wrong?”

Kara’s too distracted to hear Lena coming and nearly jumps through the roof. “Lena, hi! Nothing’s wrong. Everything is peachy. No problems here.”

“You’re pacing. There are boot marks all over my floor.”

Kara looks down and sees the indentations in the floorboards. “Oh, sorry.”

Lena sets her bags down and wraps her arms around Kara’s neck, coming in closer for a kiss. “I missed you.”

Kara smiles widely at her. “I missed you, too. How was the trip?”

“Successful. We located a field of a specific flower we needed for some of our test medicines, so we should be able to start working on that on Monday.”

“That’s amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

“So you’ve told me,” Lena chuckles as she presses their lips together again. “Now, tell me why you were pacing around the apartment.”

Kara knits her eyebrows together and takes something out of her pocket. It’s a small, flat box and she holds it in front of her. Lena’s breath catches in her chest as she watches Kara’s mouth open and close multiple times.

“So, um, we’ve been together for a little while now, probably not as long as we should have been or as long as we deserved to be, but what matters is that we’re together now. I brought this back with me from Argo and they told me it was my mother’s. It was supposed to go in my pod with me, but it never made it in.” She lifts the lid of the box and inside is a gold bracelet.

Lena lets out a soft gasp. “It’s a marriage band.”

Kara’s eyes widen. “Oh, you know about these? It-it doesn’t have to mean _that_. I just wanted to give you something to show my love and devotion for you. You know what, this was a silly idea. I can just put it awa—“

Lena takes the box out of Kara’s hands, removing the bracelet and sliding it down her wrist before clasping it shut. She looks into Kara’s surprised eyes and kisses her soundly.

“Kara Danvers, I have loved you for over two years. I don’t want to miss anymore opportunities to show you how much you mean to me.”

A sob escapes Kara’s chest as she pulls Lena to her and pours every ounce of love she has inside of her into one kiss. She rests her forehead against Lena’s and whispers, “Kara Zor-El. My real name is Kara Zor-El.”

* * *

_Present Day:_

Kara flies high above the skyline of National City on her way to the hospital. It’s a Wednesday, reading day. She lands just outside the entrance and brushes off her super-suit. She stops at the gift shop and buys a bouquet of flowers.

Walking down one of the long corridors with a stack of books in one hand and the flowers in the other, she stops by the children’s ward first. She reads a bit of Harry Potter to them - they’ve gotten all the way to _The Deathly Hallows _and the kids can’t wait to see how it all ends.

After reading through a few chapters, Kara moves on and heads to the adult side of the hospital. She peeks into a few rooms and says hello to some of her regulars, talks to them for a bit. She ends up at a room at the very end of the hall and knocks gently before walking inside. A woman is sitting in a chair, facing the window. Her hair is ashy white and she’s wearing a red cardigan.

Kara walks up slowly, taking her time, and sits down in a chair next to the woman, who turns her head and smiles softly. “Oh, Supergirl. What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?” she asks.

“I come to read to you every Wednesday. I brought your favorite story with me,” Kara replies, patting a leather bound book in her arms. “And these,” she offers the flowers.

“Oh, I hope it’s a romance. I love romance.” The woman smiles and takes the flowers, placing them in her lap.

Kara smiles softly at her and opens the book up. The woman sees a bracelet on her wrist and runs her fingers across it.

“It was a present from my wife,” she says a little forlornly.

“Oh, well that’s sweet. She must love you.”

“I hope so,” replies Kara. She turns the pages in the book and finds her place. “I think I left off where the woman proposes, without actually meaning to, with a bracelet like this one I’m wearing.” She reads for about and hour, the woman listening intently. A nurse knocks on the door and waves at Kara.

“Sorry to interrupt. It’s time to take Mrs. Luthor-Danvers to the dining area.”

Kara nods at her and closes the book. She puts a hand on the other woman’s shoulder and squeezes. “I’ll come back to see you soon, okay Lena?”

Lena’s eyes shine brightly and she nods as the nurse helps Lena up, places the bouquet of flowers on the bed, and escorts her out of the room. She can hear Lena excitedly telling the nurse that Supergirl came to read to her and wonders if she’ll come back. When Kara is left alone in the room, she clutches the flowers to her chest and silently begs her wife to come back to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry.
> 
> Also, because I know there's going to be some confusion, everything up until this point has been one long flashback. From here on out, all flashbacks will be italicized.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if you've gotten this far and guessed that this fic is based off of _The Notebook_, congratulations.
> 
> **cw:** There are brief mentions of death in this chapter, so take care.

In a perfect world, there would be no poverty or vastly unbalanced levels of wealth, no war or violence, no diseases to cure. But the world isn’t perfect, far from it, in fact. It’s so unjust that Kara, after all of her years being Supergirl, is still fighting crime and saving National City from ruin day in and day out. She’s had plenty of opportunities to retire, to pass on the mantle to someone else, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy what she does. She likes being useful, having a purpose. Kara Danvers retiring to a farmhouse to tend chickens and cows isn’t her style. So, she keeps on doing what she’s doing, continues fighting the good fight, battling the monsters and the tangible things that she can actually defeat with her bare hands.

Kara soars high above National City, looking down at all of the citizens, some she’s grown very fond of, like Laura at the bakery where she buys her morning scones, or Phil the mailman. And, naturally, with the shorter human life span, there are many she’s lost, like Eliza. Her adoptive mother passed in her sleep at the ripe old age of eighty-three in the comfort of her own home and she told Kara once that she was ready. She’d taught her daughters everything they needed to know and watched them grow up into magnificent and strong women.

Alex retired after being the DEO Director for the better part of thirty years and was living with Kelly in their home. Their daughter, Elizabeth, took after Kelly and became a therapist for aliens and their families, specializing in alien-human relationships.

Kara, even though her human age puts her at sixty-four, doesn’t look a day over thirty-five. She has a few more wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and more smile lines, but she generally gets mistaken for Alex’s daughter, much to her sister’s chagrin. Kara tries not to tease her about it too much, but there are times when she just can’t let it go and Alex has to hold her tongue, especially when she’s babysitting her grandson.

One of the places Kara frequents when she’s not on patrol is one of the hospitals that Lena had built in the city center, made with the most durable materials and set up with the newest tech. The Luthor-Danvers Hospital is where people can go for the best care and most affordable treatments. Lena never wanted anyone to be afraid to get help because of the possibility of being slapped with a bill that they would be paying off for the rest of their lives.

It’s Thursday, the day after Kara’s usual reading day, and she lands just in front and walks through the sliding doors, greeting Dev the security guard and Margery the receptionist. She makes a quick stop at the children’s ward and doles out high fives to all the kids and plays with them for a little while. She doesn’t notice that a woman stands behind her, watching as she’s rolling on the floor with an action figure of herself while one of the other kids is making laser noises and attacking her.

“Okay, okay, I surrender. You’re too powerful for me,” Kara laughs. She turns around and finally sees the woman in the doorway and smiles. Giving her a hug, they walk into the hallway. “How is she today?”

“The same, but you know Mom. Always hiding how she really feels.”

Kara nods. They walk together into a separate wing of the hospital and stop right in front of one of the rooms. “Should I go in like this, or should we try something else?”

“Try this for now. We can have you change later, but I don’t want to upset her. She’s doing relatively well today, no incidents.”

Kara dusts off her super-suit and whips her cape from side to side before turning the door handle. She walks into the dim room and sees a figure sitting in front of the large floor to ceiling window and the silhouette still takes her breath away. Even like this, Lena looks regal, powerful, like she could still handle a boardroom full of stuffy old men who would love nothing more than to take her job from her. Kara takes a deep breath and steps forward, clearing her throat to make herself known. Lena turns her head, confused at first, but looks at Kara and smiles.

“Supergirl,” she greets her, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Even after all these years, the look Lena gives Kara makes her heart flutter and she smiles back, kneeling down next to the chair.

“Hi, Lena. Just came by for a visit. I wanted to see how you’re doing today.”

“Oh, I’m fine. Everyone makes such a fuss and there’s no need. I’m sure you have some bad guys to apprehend, rather than spend all of your time here with me.”

Kara lifts her hand up and gently grips Lena’s arm. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” She motions to the other woman to walk forward and she stands on Lena’s other side.

“Hi, Mom,” she says. Lena looks up at her and squints her eyes. The face in front of her is unrecognizable and she looks back at Kara.

“She called me ‘Mom.’”

“That’s because she’s our daughter, sweetheart. Do you remember Lily? We adopted her from a nice young girl who chose us over every other candidate."

Lena shakes her head, confusion showing all across her face. “I don’t have a daughter. And—you and me?” she scoffs. “You’re _Supergirl_. There’s no way we’re together.”

Kara smiles sympathetically and tries to hide the hurt behind her eyes. She looks at Lily, who is holding back her own tears and has a hand held up to her mouth to hide her wobbly lips and hiccuping chest. She looks back at Lena and squeezes her shoulder. “I’ll be right back, okay?” She motions to Lily to join her outside of the room. Once Lily is out, Kara closes the door and rubs the back of her neck.

“So, she doesn’t recognize you and doesn’t remember she and I are married, but she remembers me as Supergirl, remembers this identity.”

Lily nods, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Yes, she seems to have grasped onto the idea of Supergirl and latched onto that as the thing anchoring her to reality. Maybe we should test you as Kara Danvers, even though I think I know what the result will be.”

“She’s on some new treatments, right?”

“Yeah, Conner’s been trying different things in the lab.”

“Okay," Kara says as she quickly changes into her Kara Danvers clothes, wearing the lead-lined glasses and hair up in a ponytail. They walk back into Lena’s room, who hasn’t moved since they left, still gazing outside the window.

“Lena,” Lily announces, using her mother’s name as not to confuse her again. “This is Kara Danvers.”

Lena turns her head around and smiles politely. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you,” she says, offering her hand.

Kara takes it and shakes Lena’s hand, a pained smile spreading across her face. “It’s nice to meet you, as well, Mrs. Luthor.”

“Oh,” she chuckles. “I’m not a missus. Not yet, anyway. I haven’t found anyone who meets my high, high expectations.”

“But you’re wearing a wedding ring,” Kara notes, pointing at the ring she picked out herself and slid down that very same finger on their wedding day so many years ago.

“This thing? It’s a family heirloom, given to me by my mother, I’d imagine.”

“No, Lena, this is your wedding ring,” Lily attempts. “You and Kara got married on February eighth, the same day you two met at CatCo. Kara’s wearing the bracelet, see? It’s the one she gave you when she proposed.”

A crease forms between Lena’s eyes as she searches the depths of her jumbled memories for what’s real, but she gets visibly frustrated and faces the window once more.

“I think I’d like you to leave now.”

“Mom, _please_. Just try to remember. We love you.”

“Out, out, get out!” Lena waves her arms around, shooing them out of the room and she begins to throw whatever she can reach. Lily presses one of the call buttons and a couple of nurses rush in, one giving Lena a mild sedative while both she and Kara leave the room. Kara watches through the small window as the nurses lift Lena up onto her bed and throw the covers over her body as the sedative begins to work and she loses consciousness. Watching her wife slip away time and time again is something that’s so deep, such a painful hurt in her heart, that she’s not sure how to handle it. She’s grateful that she has Lily, Alex, and Kelly. Without them, she’d be completely lost.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” her daughter says.

Kara nods and looks back into the room. “There must be something we’re missing. She spent years trying to cure memory loss and it’s like there’s no progress at all.”

“We’ll keep trying. Maybe Conner and I can go back to L-Corp and look through the archives again.”

“All right, I’d better go. I still need to get a present for Caleb. You’re coming to the party tonight, right?”

“Of course, Mama. Elizabeth would never let me hear the end of it if I missed her son’s birthday.”

Kara takes her leave and shops around for tiny onesies and little stuffed animals fit for a one-year-old. She reminisces back to when Lily was that tiny and she and Lena had stressed out about what college she would go to – at one years old.

* * *

_“Darling, she can’t go to public school. What if she gets bullied?”_

_“Babe, she could get bullied at _private_ school, too. It’s not exclusive to a public education. Besides, we have years before we even have to worry about that.” She hears Lena sniffling next to her while holding their daughter in her arms. “Are you crying?”_

_“She’s growing up too fast!” Lena wails, standing in the middle of a mall. Kara puts an arm around her wife, trying to console her.  
_

_“Oh, gosh, please don’t cry. People are starting to think you’re dying or hurt.”_

_“I am!” Lena sobs harder. “Our daughter is going to go to school and then she’ll get married and leave.”_

_Kara bites back a laugh. “I think there may be a few other things that happen in between then. Come on, one step at a time. She’s not even out of her diapers or walking yet. We’ll have plenty of time to watch her grow up.” _

_Lena dabs at her eyes with a tissue. “Yeah, you’re right. I just want to make sure I don’t miss anything and make sure she grows up knowing how much we love her.”_

_“She’ll know,” Kara says, rubbing Lena’s back, “because we’re going to tell her every day. And I hope you know how much I love you.”_

_Lena looks up at Kara, eyes still watery. “I love you, too.” She leans in for a kiss and then kisses Lily on her forehead until they move on to continue shopping._

* * *

Kara arrives at Alex and Kelly’s house, arms full of bags and wrapped presents. She rings the doorbell with her elbow and waits. The door swings wide open and a woman grins widely.

“Hi, Aunt Kara. Do you need help with those?”

“Oh, no no. I got it.” She slides through the doorway and sets everything down against one of the walls. She hugs her niece and is led into the kitchen, where both Alex and Kelly are running around frantically.

“No, I told you that the cookies needed two more minutes! Now they’re going to be underdone.”

“I can just put them back in the oven. What’s the big deal?”

“Uh, hey moms. Aunt Kara is here.”

“Oh, thank god. She can help with the decorations,” Alex sighs as she gives her sister a brief hug.

“Why exactly are you going through all of this trouble when Caleb won’t even remember any of it?” Kara asks.

“Because _we’ll_ remember it,” Kelly replies matter-of-factly as she takes the previously underdone cookies back out of the oven.

Elizabeth gives Kara a look and they both chuckle to each other. “No Auntie Lena?”

“No, she wasn’t having a good day today.”

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth replies. “Maybe we can all go visit later.”

Kara smiles sadly. “Yeah, maybe.”

The party begins once Lily and Conner get there and everyone dotes over the baby while Kara eats all of the cupcakes she can get her hands on. She can’t help but think about Lena, wishing she was there. The memory loss started fairly early. It began as simply as forgetting what groceries she was going to buy or not remembering certain words to use – things she’d never needed assistance with before. A few years later, Lena started forgetting major things like birthdays and anniversaries. Sometimes she’d have to call Kara to bring her home, because she couldn’t remember their address.

She could tell Lena was getting increasingly frustrated with herself. Normally, she didn’t have to rely on anyone for anything, was able to do everything on her own, but once her memory started going, she had to keep asking Kara for things and she hated it. It started so many fights between the two of them and there was a short time where Kara wasn’t sure they’d make it, but they did.

Kara started doing little things to help Lena, write her little notes and put them around their house, add reminders to her calendars and phone, she took on a lot of the parenting duties, since they were so sporadic and Lily had so many extracurricular activities to go to. They went to every sports game and every recital together, though, cheering on their daughter. As Lena suspected, Lily grew up entirely too fast. Before they knew it, she was off to college, double majoring in microbiology and neurobiology. She’d wanted to be just like Lena, studying to become a scientist, to help people. She also wanted to be like Kara – strong, vigilant, unwavering curiosity and belief in the human population. She had all of their qualities and then some.

When Lena started losing more pieces of herself, Kara had to make the difficult decision to admit her into the hospital, so she could get the care she needed and so Lily could keep a better eye on her. She’d made it her life’s mission to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and dementia, to bring her mother back to them. Lily recruited her cousin, Conner Kent, to help her and he was in charge of administering the treatments that they were developing together.

Kara visits every day, keeping their Wednesday reading dates, trying to recount their life together to see if it would trigger any memories in Lena. So far, it hadn’t, but Kara still held onto hope that it would. Some days, she comes in as Supergirl, just to see that glint of recognition in her wife’s eyes, even if she doesn’t remember that they’re married. Other days, she comes in as Kara and has to reintroduce herself again and again to Lena.

The pit of loneliness inside of Kara eats her up, but the possibility of a cure on the horizon and the hopeful looks her daughter gives her keeps her coming back. On the next Wednesday, Kara visits the hospital, same book clutched to her chest and she knocks on Lena’s door before opening it. Lena’s sitting at a table, putting a puzzle together. Kara laughs at the sight, because it’s a Supergirl puzzle, one that she bought for the hospital kids.

“Hi, Lena. Feeling like doing some reading today?”

Lena looks up at her and smiles. “Oh, sure Supergirl. Pull up a seat. Look, I’m putting your face together.” Kara peeks over at the puzzle and watches Lena add her nose to the rest of the pieces. She sits down across from Lena and opens her book.

“Okay, last time we left off, Kara had just inadvertently proposed to Lena—”

“Lena’s my name!”

“It is,” Kara smiles.

“What did Lena say? Did she accept?”

* * *

_Kara still insists on buying Lena an engagement ring, and they pick one out together. Lena surprises Kara with her own ring that she strung up with a silver chain._

_“We can’t have the media knowing you’re engaged,” she reasons._

_“At least not before I break the story myself,” laughs Kara. She lets Lena fasten the chain around her neck and presses the ring into her sternum. _

_"I can’t believe we’re engaged,” Lena sighs happily._

_“I can’t believe I didn’t actually propose,” Kara pouts. “I’ve had it all planned out since I was a kid and I messed it up.”_

_Lena cups her cheek and kisses her. “It was perfect, wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”_

_“Not even with a flash mob?”_

_“Definitely not.”_

_Eliza is overjoyed by the news, not just because her daughter is getting married, but because she gets to help with the planning. Lena keeps putting off telling her own mother that she’s engaged, because she doesn’t really want to deal with the disappointment. _

_“She might be happy for you,” Kara insists. “She’s changed since your brother got arrested.”_

_Lena huffs out a disbelieving laugh. “You really don’t know my mother. The minute I tell her, she’ll criticize me for not buying the one point five million-dollar engagement ring._

_“But I like my ring,” Kara says, looking down at it and examining it between her fingers._

_They let the conversation drop, but Kara doesn’t tell Lena that she’s secretly sent a letter to Lillian, asking for her blessing to marry her daughter. It doesn’t really matter what her response is, because she’s going to marry Lena no matter what, but it would be nice to have Lillian’s support._

_So, naturally, Lillian pays them a surprise visit and shows at the most inopportune time. Kara’s head is between Lena’s legs when there’s a buzz at the door and then a phone call on Lena’s phone right after._

_“Oh, for the love of—hello? Mother? What—okay, yes, we’re home, but why are you here? You what? Okay, hang on, give us a couple minutes.” She hangs up at glares daggers at Kara. “Kara, why is my mother here, saying she wanted to congratulate us in person?”_

_Kara smiles sheepishly. “Um, I may have asked for her blessing.”_

_Lena sighs and rubs her forehead tiredly. “We’re going to talk about this later. Now, hurry up and get dressed. My mother can smell sex from a mile away.”_

_“That’s… mildly terrifying.”_

_All three of them go out for dinner and it’s actually very pleasant. Lillian tells them they can use the mansion where Lena held the first party she invited Kara to for the reception and she can get them in contact with a tailor or caterers, anything they need. Lena excuses herself to the restroom, leaving Kara and her mother behind. Lillian clears her throat and looks like she’s struggling to say something._

_“I wanted to… thank you for giving Lena another chance, and for not letting her hate me for what I did. I was only doing what I thought was best for her at the time, but I didn’t realize that you were what was best for her. I’m sorry.”_

_Looking at Lillian, Kara would never imagine this was the same woman Lena described as a self-serving absent mother who treated Lena more like a half breed monster, rather than a daughter. Her eyes look worn and tired, like she just wants to sleep for a month._

_“Lena does love you, in her own way. She just wants to make you proud.” Lillian nods and folds her napkin in her lap. _

_“I know. I haven’t been fair to her. Ever since Lex—well, now that I really only have one child left, I’d like to do what I can to make things up to her.”_

_“I’m sure we’ll need help with the seating arrangement and knowing who to invite. I’ll get you in touch with my mom.” With a smile, Lillian nods and looks grateful. Lena comes back and slides into the booth, looking at Kara, who looks like she just swallowed a canary. _

_Lillian and Eliza work surprisingly well together. Lena’s caught both of them laughing and clinking their wine glasses together on multiple occasions. She slips into the living room where Kara’s sitting and trying to decide whether she wants filet mignon or beef tenderloin for the main dish._

_“I think our moms are fucking,” Lena plops down on the couch and Kara snaps the pencil she’s holding in two._

_“_What_?”_

_“I don’t know. They’re all chummy.”_

_“So that automatically means they’re sleeping together?” _

_Lena shrugs. “Just a thought.”_

_Kara frowns and makes a disgusted face. “Well, it’s a thought that’s never going to leave my brain unless I have a lobotomy, so thank you for that.”_

_Lena laughs and runs her hands through Kara’s hair. “I’m going to meet up with Sam later this afternoon to talk about bridesmaids. Want to come with me?”_

_“Now that you’ve put the horrible idea of our mothers being together, I don’t think I want to be alone with them, so yes.”_

_Meeting with Sam is an event. They’re at a bar and Sam is shoving drinks in both of their hands non-stop, slamming empty shot glasses onto the table and whooping loudly when they finish theirs. _

_“I can’t believe you two are finally tying the knot. It’s about fucking time, is all I gotta say.”_

_Lena rolls her eyes. “Yeah, thanks to your meddling.”_

_Sam scoffs. “Meddling! If it hadn’t been for me giving Kara your address, she never would have written those letters and if she hadn’t written those letters, you probably still wouldn’t know how she feels and you’d both be miserable and lonely. Seems to me like you owe me.”_

_Kara smiles at Lena. “She kind of has a point. There’s no way I would have told you how I felt about you as long as you were with Jack.”_

_Lena huffs out a breath, frustrated that even her fiancée is betraying her. By the end of the night, both Lena and Sam are completely wasted and Kara takes Sam home, helping her up to her apartment and putting her to bed. When she and Lena get home, Kara bridal carries Lena across the threshold of Lena’s apartment and sets her down on the bed, gently removing her boots._

_“Do you wonder what would have happened if we hadn’t lost touch?”_

_“All the time,” Kara replies, removing Lena’s socks. _

_“You think we still would have ended up here?”_

_Kara starts peeling Lena’s jeans down her legs. “Absolutely. I don’t think there’s any scenario where we don’t end up together and in love.”_

_“You make us sound like soulmates,” Lena says quietly, closing her eyes and lifting her hips, letting Kara put pajama bottoms on her._

_“Well, on Krypton, marriages are arranged based on convenience or whatever the community needs, not on love. So, this is all new to me. I do believe that you and I were meant to be together, though, from that first awkward interview when you complimented my outfit in front of my cousin.”_

_“Oh, _god_. You remember that?” She raises her arms, so Kara can take off her shirt. “I definitely thought you were pretty and, in all honesty, I only invited you to the party so I could see you again.” After removing her bra, Kara slips a t-shirt over her head. _

_“I had a feeling,” Kara chuckles. “I was the only newbie journalist there. Everyone else was from Fortune 500 companies or from, like, Time Magazine.”_

_They climb into bed and cuddle up against one another, Lena lying her head on Kara’s shoulder. “I just wanted to get to know you. Thankfully, Sam’s the best wingwoman in the world and scheduled meetings with you, so you had reasons to come back to L-Corp.” _

_Kara hums. “So, Sam’s your maid of honor and Alex is mine. I don’t really have people I want to invite to a bridal shower or a bachelorette party. Can we just do a small dinner?”_

_“Whatever you want, darling,” Lena replies, sighing happily when Kara starts scratching lightly at her scalp. “Would it be weird if I invite Jack?”_

_Kara pauses her ministrations briefly, but continues. “I guess that depends on where your relationship is now. Are you two friends?”_

_“I think so. I did break up with him twice, though, so he may not want to.”_

_“Well, just extend the invitation and see what he says. But if you’re inviting your ex, I should get to invite my not-quite-ex.” Lena sits up and stares down at Kara._

_“Your what?”_

_Kara sets her hands in front of her in a placating manner. “Nothing happened. It was on Argo. She was my childhood friend and I thought she’d died along with the rest of Krypton. She’s the head of security now, Thara. She was there for me while I healed and helped build my pod so I could get back to Earth._

_“You had feelings for her?” Lena ask, not really wanting to hear the answer. _

_“I don’t know. She was there and she reminded me of home. Plus, I had lost you and I didn’t know if I’d ever leave Argo, but I swear nothing happened. We were just friends and I care about her as a friend.”_

_“I wouldn’t mind even if you two had been together. I wouldn’t have wanted you to be alone that whole time.”_

_“That’s why you were with Jack? So you weren’t alone?”_

_Lena nods. “And because my mom insisted I try to get over you. I was kind of a wreck when you disappeared, and he was there for me. It was easy falling back into that pattern with him. I still thought about you a lot, though, probably every day.”_

_“Me too,” Kara says, kissing the top of Lena’s head. “You occupy so much space in my heart, I don’t think a day has ever gone by where I didn’t think about you.”_

_Lena drifts off to sleep soon after and Kara hugs her close, listening to the soft breaths coming out of her mouth. She has trouble falling asleep, her mind too active and firing on all cylinders. She slips her arm out from underneath Lena’s head and reaches over to the nightstand, taking out a notebook she keeps in there._

_She opens it to the first blank page and starts writing, the first header saying ‘First Meeting.’ She starts with her first interview with Lena, recounting how she and Clark were late, but Lena was gracious enough to keep their appointment. She remembers exactly what Lena was wearing, how the office smelled, the sly smile she gave just before she walked out of the office. _

_Then she writes about their second meeting at the party and how she arrived early, ate all of the potstickers, and drove Lena’s very expensive car to a dock that they nearly got kicked out of. She remembers thinking the way Lena looked in the moonlight was the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen. She writes about falling in love with Lena and how immediate and engulfing it felt. It took up her every thought, her every action. She was drowning in Lena’s very essence and presence, and she welcomed it. _

_Hours pass without Kara even realizing it and Lena stirs. “Sweetheart, what time is it?”_

_Kara looks over at the alarm clock. “Oh, it’s almost three. I guess I lost track of time.”_

_“What are you doing?” she lifts her head and looks at the book Kara has in her lap. _

_“Just writing,” Kara answers vaguely. _

_“An article?”_

_Kara shakes her head. “No, um, about our life, how we met and everything that happened between us.”_

_Lena groans. “You mean you’re writing out our soap opera of a life.”_

_“Part soap opera, part space opera,” Kara says with a laugh. She reads the first few pages for Lena, who listens with rapt attention. _

_“Did you really fall for me after the party?”_

_“Honestly, it was probably after the interview. I Googled you right when I got home.” Lena barks out a laugh and then pulls Kara down for a kiss. Kara puts the book away and they make love until the sun shines its way through the balcony window. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding the last two chapters today just to get it out of my hair.

Kara walks into the L-Corp building and heads toward the elevator. Everything still looks the same, save for the employees. It’s been a while since she’s been there, but makes it a point to go in occasionally, if only to check on the research Lily and Conner are working on. She takes the elevator up to the top floor and is greeted by the receptionist.

“Hello, Mrs. Luthor-Danvers, I didn’t have you on the calendar.”

“Yeah, sorry, I kind of came up unannounced. Is Miss Arias busy?”

The receptionist checks her computer and types a few things. “No, she’s free for the next hour. Let me tell her you’re here.” She picks up the phone receiver and briefly speaks into it before hanging it up. “Go right on in.”

Kara thanks her and opens the door. A young woman is rushing forward and wrapping Kara into a great big hug, the blonde lifting her two feet into the air.

“Auntie Kara, it’s been a while,” Ruby smiles. The office still looks the same way Lena kept it, the same two plants in the corners of the room, the same white couch, which is significantly less white with age. There are issues of CatCo Magazine on the coffee table in the middle of the room and it warms Kara’s heart. The desk is different, though. They had to replace it after one too many _lunch dates_. After Lena handed over the company, Ruby took over and ran it exactly the way Lena had intended, using their research facilities to make medicinal and technological advancements. Ruby hired Lily and Conner right out of college, putting them into the neurology team at L-Corp.

“It has. How’s your mom? I haven’t seen her at the hospital lately.”

“Yeah, she’s been spending a lot of time at the bingo hall, giving all of the retirees a hard time.”

Kara laughs. “Sounds like her. Tell her we miss her, okay?”

“I will. She misses you all, too, but I think it’s hard for her to see Aunt Lena like that.” Kara nods in understanding, remembering that Sam lost her best friend, too. “Sorry, Auntie Kara, I didn’t mean it wasn’t hard for you, too.”

Kara waves off her apology. “I know what you meant. Are Lily and Conner here?”

“Yep, working hard down in the basement. I can take you down there if you want.” They take Ruby’s private elevator into the lowest depths of the L-Corp building, making their way through the heavily-guarded science wing.

Ruby punches in a code into a security door and it unlocks. They walk into a huge lab room with at least twenty other people wearing safety goggles and lab coats walking around. Lily catches her eye and walks over.

“Mama! What are you doing here?”

“Just paying Ruby a visit before heading over to the hospital. You all look busy.”

“I think we’ve made a breakthrough. Come look.” She directs them over to a computer and a microscope. She types a few commands into the keyboard and instructs Kara to look through the microscope.

“Wait, is this—”

“I found some samples in the archives. It’s from Krypton, right?”

Kara nods, completely speechless. She didn’t even think to look for plant or animal matter outside of Earth, and neither did Lena, apparently.

“Here, watch what it does when we stimulate it, kind of like the way synapses and neurons work.” Kara watches Lily zap life into the plant and watches it slither around, snapping at their artificial plaques and tangles.

“This is incredible. So, you think if you get more and synthesize this plant, turning it into some kind of treatment, Lena might start to remember again?”

“It’s worth a shot. We’ve exhausted pretty much every other option,” Lily sighs.

Kara looks over at Conner. “You want to take a trip to Argo?” He just grins widely.

* * *

_Lena and Kara never intended on having children; Lena was busy with L-Corp and her research and Kara was busy with her Supergirl duties, both worried what bringing a child into the world with two of the world’s most well-known and most targeted parents would be like. Then, one night, they’re lying in bed, ready to sleep, and Lena blurts out that she wants to have a baby. Kara cries._

_They agree that they’re going to adopt, because with both of their histories and being adopted themselves, they want to pass along that tradition. Kara wants to be able to love a child who was abandoned or lost their parents and Lena just wants to love someone the way she wished she’d been loved. That’s how they found Lily. She was a newborn whose parents were too young to take care of a baby. The mother met with both Lena and Kara multiple times to make sure they were trustworthy and after one meeting and Kara bursting into happy tears about the prospect of being a mother, Lily’s mom chose them._

_If you asked Lena, she would deny with her last breath that she did not name her after Lillian, but Kara catches her telling her all about Grandma. Kara also notices that she’s been sending a monthly stipend to Lily’s birth mother to make sure she’s able to go to college and graduate. They attend her graduation at National City University five years later._

* * *

Kara and Conner sit inside of a couple of transporter pods in the DEO, Alex and J’onn looking on. “Be careful, you two,” the director says. “The cryo-sleep should make the trip a breeze. I’ve informed the High Council that you’re on your way and they’re expecting you.”

Kara nods and she gives Alex a reassuring smile. “See you soon,” she says. Both she and Conner punch in the coordinates and the lids to the pods slide shut. They both lift into the air, travelling through the opening in the ceiling and then shoot off.

“Hey, Kara?”

“What’s up?

“What if this doesn’t work?”

“It will,” Kara answers, assuring herself just as much as Conner. “Okay, let’s initiate cryo-sleep.” Their pods fill with a cold breeze of smoke and they drift off to sleep. The autopilot kicks in and they float through space on their way to Argo City.

* * *

_Kara finds Lena tearing through the house one day after a really long day at work. Clothes are thrown everywhere, their dresser drawers left wide open. Even all of the pots and pans have been removed from their cupboards. Kara takes a tentative step into their bedroom, where Lena is crumpled onto the floor, sobbing._

_“Honey? What’s wrong?”_

_“I can’t find it,” Lena says in a panicked voice. _

_Kara kneels beside her and rubs gentle circles around her back. “Can’t find what?”_

_“The bracelet you gave me. I’ve looked everywhere,” Lena cries, lowering her head and her chest heaves as she tries to catch her breath. _

_“It’s gotta be here somewhere,” Kara says soothingly. “When do you remember having it last?”_

_“I was washing dishes and then I went to take a shower. I remember having it this morning, but when I got out of the shower, it wasn’t on my wrist anymore.”_

_“Okay, well, let me take a look.” Kara hops up and uses her x-ray vision. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the ability to search for specific minerals and metals. That would make it much easier. She walks back out into the living room area and starts checking the floor and the sink area. Taking a look at the couch, she chuckles to herself and feels between the cushions, pulling out the bracelet. “Sweetheart, can you come in here?”_

_Lena emerges from the bedroom looking absolutely haggard, the stress brimming from her eyes. Kara holds up the gold band in her hand and Lena’s relief is cut short by a sob that’s expelled from her chest. Kara rushes over to her and hugs her close, wrapping her up in her arms. _

_“Hey, it’s okay. We found it. Nothing to worry about.”_

_Lena pulls away and looks up at Kara with watery eyes. “Let’s get married now.”_

_“You want to elope?”_

_“Yeah, just you and me. We can go to the coast or the mountains and find a tiny chapel or just get it done at a town hall.”_

_“Baby, both of our mothers will murder us if we elope. They’ve been working so hard on the wedding. What’s the rush?”_

_“I just don’t want to wait any longer. I want to be your wife.”_

_Kara rubs Lena’s arms comfortingly. “You will be.” She takes Lena’s arm and attaches the bracelet again, kissing the underside of her wrist. “Come on, your mom wants us to go try out cakes. I’ve been looking forward to this moment my entire life.”_

_“Really?” Lena looks at her with a quirked eyebrow._

_“It’s free cake, Lena!”_

_After the cake testing, the dress fittings, the table arrangements, picking out the venue, the DJ, and whatever else a wedding needs, the day finally arrives. It’s a small affair as neither one of them wanted anything too grandiose, but all of their friends and family are there. Jack shows up, dressed in a rather dashing purple suit, and he walks Lena down the aisle. Kara cries the second she sees Lena in her dress and warbles through her vows. Lena, on the other hand, gets through her vows seamlessly, having been prepared for public speaking and being able to handle nerves and stress since she was eight years old. _

_At the reception, they dance and laugh among their friends, many of them who know everything they had to go through to get to this point. Some oblivious to their past. While Lena is dancing with Jack to some slow crooner of a song, Sam takes a seat next to Kara._

_“You did good, kid,” she says, elbowing Kara jokingly. _

_Kara grins at her and feels her cheeks get warm. “It took us a while, but we finally got here.”_

_“As my official duty as maid of honor, I gotta tell you that if you ever hurt Lena, I’ll have to murder you. Don’t think being Kryptonian is getting you out of it.” Kara’s eyes widen, but Sam places a gentle hand on her arm. “Don’t worry, Lena didn’t tell me. I put it together after you came back from your extended leave of absence.” She points to the scar on Kara’s neck, left after Lex took her blood. “Lex gloated about taking Kryptonian blood and using it took power his suits. When you were gone around the same time, it wasn’t hard to figure out.”_

_“Oh yeah,” Kara says, self-consciously rubbing her neck. “I never told Lena how close I was to dying, just that Lex nearly killed me on Argo. If those soldiers had found me ten seconds later…” she trails off and Sam’s grip on her arm tightens. Kara shakes her head. “She doesn’t need to know. Lex is dealt with and we’re safe.”_

_Lena comes barreling toward them, clearly inebriated, with Jack in tow. “Come dance with me,” she says, offering her hand to Kara. She smiles at her wife – her _wife_ – and takes her hand. Jack offers his arm to Sam and both pairs go back to the dancefloor. _

_Lena wraps her arms around Kara’s neck and leans in, resting her head on her shoulder. “I love you,” she whispers._

_“I love you, too,” replies Kara. They sway to the music and breathe each other in, Kara humming along to the song. Lena lifts her head suddenly and gasps._

_“Oh, my god,” she says._

_“What?” Kara asks, looking around._

_“Our moms.”_

_“What about them?” Kara looks in the direction of Eliza and Lillian, who are laughing with each other, touching the other’s arm or knee. “Oh, Rao, I’m going to throw up.”_

_After the last of their guests leave, Sam and Alex send them off to their hotel and remind them to use protection. Kara rolls her eyes and they drive away._

_“Do you think Sam and Alex are fucking?”_

_Karalooks over at her incredulously. “What makes you think that?”_

_Lena shrugs her shoulder, looking forward. “Just a hunch.”_

_“All of the women in our lives can’t be sleeping with each other._ _ I know the lesbian and bisexual pool in National City is shallow, but that’s just too much. Besides, I think Alex has been talking to this psychiatrist. I don't think she wants to jinx it, so she refuses to talk to me about it."_

_When they arrive at the hotel, Kara checks them in and the bellhop takes their luggage up for them, escorting them to their honeymoon suite. When he unlocks the door, Lena and Kara walk inside and Kara audibly gasps. The bellhop unloads all their luggage and Lena tips him before he leaves. Kara explores every room and bursts out of the bathroom with eyes wide as saucers._

_“You have to see this hot tub, it’s enormous!”_

_Lena chuckles and shakes her head. She rolls their suitcases into the bedroom and she starts unpacking their clothes, hanging up their gowns and suits and folding the rest into one of the dressers. Kara comes in shortly after with a hungry glint in her eye and Lena allows herself to be swept up into Kara’s arms. She’s carried over to the bed and laid gently in the center. Kara takes off her shoes and climbs in beside her. They begin to kiss, Kara’s hands roam across Lena’s white dress. Just as Kara’s lips reach the junction between her neck and shoulder, she lets out a loud yawn._

_“Darling, if you’re tired, we can just go to sleep. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to continue this another time.”_

_“No, no, I’m okay. I’m awake,” Kara insists, resuming her ministrations, but another minute later, Lena hears tiny snores coming from Kara beside her. She laughs and extricates herself from Kara’s grip, then removes her dress, finding some pajamas to change into. After washing off her make-up and brushing her teeth, she does her best to undress Kara and throws a comforter on top of her. She climbs into bed and brushes an errant hair behind Kara’s ear, kissing her forehead before falling asleep next to her wife._

* * *

When Kara and Conner land on Argo, they’re greeted by Thara and other security officers. Kara hugs Thara and introduces Conner. J’onn sent word of their arrival weeks in advance, so they knew to expect them. The High Council meets with them immediately and Kara suddenly feels unprepared. It’s just a request to take some plants back with her, nothing major. It’s for Lena, her wife. Kryptonians understand devotion to loved ones and a duty to ensure their safety and longevity.

“Kara Zor-El, it is good to see you again,” one of the council members say.

“Thank you, you as well. This is my cousin Kal-El’s son, Kon-El.” Conner bows his head. “We’re here to ask a favor. My wife, Lena Luthor, has come down with a condition that makes her forget and she no longer recognizes me. We have been working on a cure for the past year and think we’ve made a major breakthrough.” The council members listen intently, giving their full attention to Kara.

“Luthor,” one of them mutters. “She is related to Lex Luthor?”

“Yes. She—she’s his sister, but she was not involved with anything that he did here or on Earth. Both she and her mother denounced him right when they heard what he’d done.”

The council members begin whispering to each other with grave looks on their faces. Kara looks over to Conner, who shrugs at her. One of the council members stands up.

“I am sorry, Kara Zor-El, we cannot help you.”

“What? Why not?”

“You may stay here as long as you need, rest up and refuel, but we must ask you to depart at your earliest convenience.”

“Wait,” Kara protests as the council continues to leave the area. “_Please!_” She and Conner are left alone in the room and they exit, as well. Thara is waiting for her in the hallway with an apologetic look on her face.

“I’m sorry, Kara,” she says.

“They didn’t even let me explain, to tell them how good Lena is.”

“What’s stopping us from just taking the plants?” Conner asks.

“It would cause so much political backlash,” Kara sighs. “I don’t want to be exiled from Argo.”

“Lena is the one who helped defeat Lex Luthor, is that right?” a voice comes from behind them. Kara whips her body around to find one of the elder council members standing there.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Kara answers. “She created the technology that made his suits inoperable.”

“And she is your mate?”

Kara feels her ears heat up. “Yes, she is.”

“The High Council is stuck in their ways and have been for quite some time. It is why we seem to never move forward. I have been trying to implement newer ideas with much resistance, but I feel your cause is a just one, Kara Zor-El. And we owe your parents our lives. The least we could do is help you save your Lena’s. Let me speak with the council and I will find you afterwards.”

Kara thanks her and she and Conner find a bar to wait in. They sit down on a couple of barstools and order some drinks. Admittedly, Kara missed the alcohol on Krypton. The alien bars on Earth didn’t have the same selection, although, it was better than nothing.

“What was Lily like when she was a kid?” Conner asks.

“She was a handful, and she doesn’t even have any powers,” Kara responds with a laugh. “Did I ever tell you about the time I almost lost her?”

“You almost lost her?” Conner screeches. “I’ll bet Lena nearly murdered you.”

“You have no idea,” says Kara, smiling at the memory.

* * *

_“Do we have everything?” Kara asks, packing up the last of the beach towels and sunscreen, which are obviously not for her._

_“Did you get Lily’s floaties?”_

_“Check.”_

_“Her hat?”_

_“Check.”_

_“Snacks?”_

_“Babe, it’s me. Of course I got the snacks.”_

_The drive to the beach isn’t far and they’re going to stop by Midvale for lunch with Eliza before they continue to their hotel to check in. Lunch is at a small café nearby with clam chowder that Eliza swears by. Kara, of course, gets it in a bread bowl, along with fish and chips, as well as some crab cakes. _

_After lunch, they give Eliza some time with her granddaughter before they set off for the hotel. Checking in is a breeze and they get settled in their room before Lily gets antsy and keeps asking when they’re going to go to the beach._

_“Soon, baby. Your mama needs to rest a little,” Lena says, watching Kara plop facedown onto the bed. “Come on, help mommy unpack.”_

_They let Kara sleep for an hour before Lena tries to wake her up. “Darling, Lily’s ready to go.”_

_“Mmf, ten more minutes.”_

_“Nope, come on. Our daughter wants to go _now_, or else we’re the worst parents in the universe.”_

_Kara shoots up and her eyes widen. “We can’t be the worst parents. Where is she? Why aren’t you ready yet?” She rushes around, gathering their towels and quickly changing into her swimsuit. She squirts some sunscreen into her palm and wipes it all over her daughter’s body, ignoring the fact that she already had some applied. She picks her up and runs out the door. Lena stands in the middle of the hotel room, stock still until Kara runs back in and grabs her hand. “We forgot mommy!”_

_They walk out to the beach and, thankfully, it isn’t too crowded on a Thursday afternoon. They set up their towels and an umbrella for Lena while Kara takes Lily to the shore and sets her down. Their daughter looks at the sand and the water as it creeps closer to her and she lets out a loud yelp and tries to run away from it, but it catches up to her._

_When she starts to cry, Kara picks her up and walks them both further into the water. “It’s okay, baby. See? Mama’s in the water and it doesn’t hurt.” Lily looks down and sniffles, but grabs onto Kara’s neck. Kara chuckles and start walking back to Lena. “Okay, maybe a sandcastle is more your style.” She walks them over to the towels and starts lining up the shovels and pails, filling them with sand._

_Lena watches the two of them with such adoration. “Hey, I’m going to go get us some ice cream. I’ll be right back, okay?”_

_Kara looks up at her with bright eyes and a smile. “Best wife ever.” Lena leans down and kisses Kara before kissing Lily on the head, whose attention is strictly on the little tower she’s building. Kara watches Lena walk away and draws her eyes back down to her daughter. A few seconds later, her ears pick up a scream and she lifts her head up, searching for the noise. Deep in the middle of the water, she sees two people flailing and screaming for help. She stands up, looks back down at Lily, who’s still preoccupied with her sandcastle._

_“Lily, stay right here. Mama will be right back, okay? Don’t move.” She races out to the water and dives into a wave, swimming out to the people and grabbing both of them under their arms, kicking her feet to propel them back to shore. By the time she gets there, a lifeguard catches up with them and starts taking over. Kara looks up at where Lily should be, but the towels are bare and the sandcastle abandoned. A wave of panic fills Kara as she looks around frantically._

_“Lily?” she calls out. She rushes over to the couple who were sitting near them and ask if they’ve seen her daughter. They shake their heads regretfully and starts walking down the beach, yelling Lily’s name. She’s a second away from shooting up into the air and flying when she hears _Mama!_ behind her. Lily’s being held in Lena’s arms, who is glaring daggers at her and Kara gulps. “Um, hey baby,” she says weakly._

_“Imagine my surprise when I saw our daughter wandering around aimlessly while I was on my way back from getting ice cream.”_

_“People were drowning! I was only gone for a minute, I swear.”_

_Lena sighs and sets Lily down, who is happy to sit with her face in an ice cream cone. “Sweetheart, that’s what lifeguards are for. That’s their job. You’re not here as Supergirl, you’re here as my wife and as Lily’s mother. Did the lifeguard show up in time?”_

_“I got there faster,” Kara pouts. “But, yeah, he was there.”_

_Lena cups her cheek. “I love that you want to help everyone and you want to do good. It’s one of my favorite things about you, but sometimes you just have to put away the superhero persona and just be present here, with us.”_

_“You’re right,” Kara says with a nod. “You’re always right.”_

_“And don’t you forget it,” Lena smiles and pecks Kara on the lips._

_“Ew, mommy,” Lily says from the ground below them, mouth covered in melted ice cream. Kara bends down to pick her up._

_“Look at what a mess you’ve made. Look at what a mess Mama made,” she chuckles. “Come on, let’s pack up and head back. I think we’ve had enough excitement for today.”_

* * *

The door to the bar swings open and someone who definitely doesn’t look like they belong there walks through it. It’s the council member who spoke with Kara and Conner after everyone else had already left. She walks toward them and gives them a nod.

“I have spoken with the council and they have agreed to allow you to take some samples of plant life home with you.” Kara’s about to thank her and gush, but she holds up a hand to stop her. “On one condition.”

“Anything,” Kara says without hesitation.

“You share your knowledge and all of the research Lena Luthor has conducted in all of her years as the head of L-Corp and we are able to use whatever we need to build up our defense systems or increase our chances of survival.”

Kara thinks about it for a minute and looks at Conner, who shrugs. “Okay, but… her research isn’t meant to weaponize or hurt anyone.”

“That is our offer, Kara Zor-El.”

Kara sighs and shrugs her shoulders. “Fine, we accept.”

“Good. Thara will escort you into the forests to forage what you may need. Safe journey home.” The council member leaves and Kara finishes her drink before heading out the door and Conner has to rush behind her.

The next morning, Thara shows up to their quarters and leads them through a thick brush, deep into a forest, just like the council member said.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Conner asks, flicking a leaf and it hisses at him.

“It’s called an oregus plant, looks like what an orchid would back on Earth.”

After searching, Kara sees a pinkish flower peeking through other plants and she smiles. “I found it. Here, look.” She points it out to Conner and Thara. She plucks a few of the blossoms out and places them in glass containers from her pack. They take a few more plants that might help and head back to the city. After packing up, they head back to their pods and Kara says goodbye to Thara once more.

“I’m glad you and Lena worked things out,” she says.

“Me too. How are you and your mate?”

“We’re good, expecting our first child in the incubation chambers very soon.”

“Wow, congratulations. I’m sure he or she will be a strong warrior like you.”

“Or a scientist like their mother,” Thara smiles. They say goodbye and climb into their pods, putting in the coordinates back to Earth and set the cryo-sleep.

“Thank you for coming with me, Conner,” Kara says.

“Don’t worry about it. I just hope this helps Lena.”

“Me too.”

It takes them weeks to get back and by the time they do, it feels like they’ve been gone for an eternity. Kara’s first stop is the hospital; she sent Conner back to L-Corp with the flowers and other plants, so he could start synthesizing it and working on a cure. On her way to Lena’s room, she hears a commotion and rushes to where all the noise is coming from and realizes that it’s coming from Lena’s room. She looks inside and sees two nurses trying to hold a thrashing Lena down to administer something, most likely a sedative.

“What’s going on?”

“She’s having a bad day, Mrs. Luthor-Danvers. She’s been getting progressively worse since you’ve been gone.”

Kara frowns worriedly and watches as one of the nurses is able to stick the needle into Lena’s arm and push down the injector. Lena’s limbs get heavy and she starts to relax. Kara pulls up a chair and sits at Lena’s bedside, stroking her hair.

“Hi, baby, I’m here.”

Lena’s eyes blink slowly as the sedative continues to work. “I-I don’t know you. Why are you here? Where am I? Why are they holding me?” Tears start to fall and she turns her head away from Kara.

“I found what we needed. We’re going to make you better. I’m going to bring you back to me,” she answers with a watery reply. “I love you so much, Lena.” Lena drifts off to sleep and Kara sits back in the chair and just watches her. The nurses leave the room once they see that their patient is okay. Kara lays her head down on the edge of the bed and feels herself succumbing to sleep, herself.

* * *

_Kara bats at a balloon sitting on her desk that Alex and Kelly had sent her with a card that reads ‘Happy birthday, nerd! That’s Alex calling you a nerd, not me (Kelly).’ She’s buzzing with excitement, not just because it’s her birthday, but because she and Lena have been planning a getaway for a while. They’re going to go wine tasting and have sex all weekend at some swanky hotel that Lena owns._

_It was a good idea while it lasted, but she gets a text from Lena at five to tell her that she’s running late and won’t be home for a while. She cancels their dinner reservation and still has time to buy her favorite ice cream. _

_Four hours later, keys jingle and click in the lock of the door, Kara’s sitting on the couch and watching TV, moping, when Lena walks in. She doesn’t even look back at her wife entering the room._

_“Hi, darling. I’m sorry I’m late.”_

_“You missed my birthday,” Kara mumbles. _

_“Your birth—oh, god. It’s your birthday? She checks her phone and, sure enough, it’s Kara’s birthday. _

_“I had it all planned out. We were supposed to go to dinner and I scheduled everything, so that we’d leave tonight for the winery and get there before the bars close.” _

_Lena walks over and sits down on the couch next to Kara. “I’m sorry. I completely forgot what day it was.”_

_“But we’ve been talking about this for weeks,” Kara says, her lip pressed into a tight line. “How could you forget? Isn’t it on one of your ten calendars?”_

_Lena takes one of Kara’s hands in her own. “I’m so sorry. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”_

_Kara shrugs. “I cancelled our hotel reservation, too, so you don’t need to worry about that.”_

_“You didn’t have to cancel it. We can still go.”_

_Kara shakes her head. Lena sighs and looks toward the kitchen. “What if I bake you a cake?” Kara’s ears perk up a little, but she’s still frowning. “I’ll make your favorite with custard filling.” Lena curls her lip up, tilting her head to try and get Kara to look at her._

_Kara huffs a little. “Chocolate cake?”_

_“Whatever you want, honey.”_

_“Can I help?”_

_Lena smiles. “I’ll even let you lick the spoon.” Kara smiles wider and squeezes her hand, bringing her closer for a hug and they embrace for a few seconds before Kara jumps up and starts taking the ingredients out of the refrigerator. Their cake is a success and once they’re full of cake and emergency potstickers and fried rice that Lena ordered, she takes Kara to bed and they spend the rest of the night making love, trading releases and orgasms until they both pass out._

* * *

Kara quickly changes into her Supergirl suit before grabbing breakfast, getting a chocolate croissant for Lena. When she arrives back at the room, Lena is sitting up, still looking a little groggy, but she lights up when she sees Kara.

“Supergirl! I just saw you on the television.”

“Hello, Miss Luthor,” Kara says, offering the croissant. “What was I doing? Did I stop the bad guys?”

Lena takes it gratefully and delicately pulls off the end piece, something she always did with her croissants. “I think you stopped a burglary.” She continues nibbling on the croissant, but pauses to ask Kara a question. “Do you know when I get to go home? No one will give me an answer.”

“Soon, I hope. We just need to make sure you’re all better first.”

“I don’t feel sick. Are you sure these doctors are trustworthy? My brother had money in a lot of people’s pockets, you know.”

“I trust them. You should, too.”

Lena gives her a dubious look, but forgets all about it as she happily eats the rest of her croissant. Kara watches her intently, remembering when her hair used to be dark and long, when she commanded every room she walked into, but now it’s shorter and easier to manage.

“We’ve been friends for a long time, haven’t we, Supergirl?”

“Yes, we have. A very long time, feels like a lifetime.”

“Did you ever feel like there was something between us? Something more than friendship?” Kara clears her throat, then swallows, then looks around the room to try and find something else to talk about. She’s quiet for too long, so Lena continues, “It just seems like wherever I am, you’re always there to save me.”

“Well, the world would be a much worse place without you in it, Miss Luthor.”

Lena scoffs. “Nonsense. There are plenty of people out there making more of a difference. What am I doing? Cleaning up my brother’s mess? Trying to impress my mother?”

“You’re doing a lot of good, Lena. You’ve helped so many people. You-you’ve literally changed the world with all of your research and technology. Even people from other planets are looking to utilize it. That’s how much of an impact you’ve made.”

Lena’s eyes shine brighter than they have in a really long time and Kara wants to kiss her so badly, wants her to remember that she’s in love with Kara and that they have a beautiful and successful daughter together. Instead, she stands and rubs her arms nervously.

“I should get going.”

“Oh, already?”

“Yeah. You know, duty calls.”

“I see,” Lena replies, her smile faltering a little, but spreading back across her face, a move she’s used over and over as a CEO. “Will I see you again? Will you come back and visit me?”

“You wouldn’t be able to keep me away, Miss Luthor,” Kara grins. “Have a good night.”

Lena nods. “Goodnight, Supergirl.”

* * *

Kara heads for the L-Corp lab after leaving the hospital to see if their specimens made it through the trip. The security guards let her right in and she takes the elevator to one of the basement floors. Her boots click on the cement floor and she uses the keypad to scan her hand print and the door unlocks for her.

She notices Lily and Conner right away, both hovering over a microscope, while other random scientist mill around the room. As she walks up to them, Lily spots her and runs at her, jumping into her arms.

“Mama, this is it! This is what we need.”

“You-you’re sure?”

“Positive, look. We synthesized the flower and mixed it with artificial neurons. It reattaches synapses and rebuilds neurons in the brain. I think it’s going to work. We can bring Mom back.”


	7. Chapter 7

_Kara sits in the middle of an auditorium with an empty seat next to her for Lena when she gets there. Lily’s piano recital is about to begin, so Kara checks her phone to see if Lena’s texted or called, but there aren’t any notifications. _

_“Is someone sitting there?” a woman asks from the end of the aisle._

_Kara frowns at her. “Yes, I’m waiting for my wife.” She dials Lena’s number and it goes straight to voicemail. Right after she hangs up, she receives a call from a number she recognizes as the National City PD and she answers it. _

_“Hello?”_

_“Hi, is this Mrs. Luthor-Danvers?”_

_“Yes, this is she.”_

_“We’ve found your wife.”_

_Kara’s heart begins to race as she stands up and walks across the aisle of chairs and heads toward the back door of the auditorium. “What do you mean you’ve found my wife?”_

_“She was wandering around the flower shop on Cordova, looking very disoriented and the shop owner called us. You’d better come down to the station.”_

_Kara hangs up and calls Alex, begging her and Kelly to come to Lily’s recital and to take her home afterwards. She walks over to the rows of kids and kneels down in front of her daughter._

_“Hi, baby. Mama has to go pick up Mommy from the police station. She got lost and couldn’t find her way here. Auntie Alex and Auntie Kelly will be here to watch you and take you home, okay?”_

_“You and Mommy won’t be here?” _

_“No, sweetheart. You can play for both of us at home and I’ll take you out for ice cream tomorrow. How does that sound?”_

_“Okay, Mama.”_

_“Okay. I love you, kiddo.” She kisses Lily on the head before walking out of the auditorium. After Kelly and Alex arrive, she drives straight to the police station and checks in at the front desk. Lena’s sitting in a chair next to an officer, arms crossed and refusing to speak._

_“Honey, what happened? What were you doing at the flower shop?”_

_“Kara, finally. I keep telling this nice gentleman that I’m fine and can make it home on my own, but he insisted on holding me hostage. Let’s go, we’re going to miss Lily’s birthday.”_

_“Lily’s birthday was three months ago. Tonight is her recital.”_

_Lena narrows her eyes and a crinkle forms across her forehead. “Yes, yes, that’s what I meant. In any case, we’re going to be late.”_

_Lena starts walking to the exit and Kara thanks the officer for watching her wife. Kara follows Lena outside, who seems to be looking for something._

_“Where’s Gerry with the car?”_

_“I drove our car. It’s over there,” Kara points to their minivan. Lena huffs and starts walking toward it. Kara follows her and jumps into the driver’s seat. She turns to look at Lena, who is visibly upset and trying not to let the embarrassment of spending an hour in the police station get to her. “Baby, tell me what’s going on.”_

_Lena clenches her jaw, looking straight ahead through the windshield. “I-I forget things sometimes. It’s nothing to worry about.”_

_With some coaxing and bargaining, they agree to go see a doctor. What he tells them devastates them both: Lena has early onset Alzheimer’s. Kara doesn’t understand; Lena’s young, still in her forties. Alzheimer’s usually occurs in older patients, so it happening to Lena so young is unfathomable. It doesn’t make any sense. Kara asks the doctor a million questions – what their options are, treatments, preventative measures to keep it from getting worse. There’s not much they can do. Lena sits beside her, mostly quiet, resigned. _

_Kara thanks the doctor and they go to the pharmacy to pick up some medications that probably won’t do anything. Lena and Kara make love that night, tears running down their faces as they bring each other to release. Kara promises to love Lena forever, to take care of her. Lena promises to try to remember her, remember them, but Kara knows she won’t be able to control that._

_Lena creates a new division within L-Corp to concentrate solely on neurology research, to try and keep her disease from progressing any further. She and her team of scientists make headway, but during a board meeting, she stops mid-sentence during one of her presentations and can’t continue. Sam takes over for her and calls Lena’s assistant to contact Kara. _

_Sam takes over as interim CEO after Lena signs some paperwork and steps down. The media is having a field day with the news, some postulating that Lena is pregnant. Others saying she’s in trouble with the law like her brother. Kara begins to shirk her duties as Supergirl to take care of Lena and Lily at home, only going out if it’s an emergency. _

_Kara can feel Lena slipping away, can feel her losing her wife. Kara brings out a notebook and flips to the first page. It’s a Wednesday, reading day. “Do you remember when we met?”_

_Lena smiles. “Of course. You were with Clark and wearing some ridiculous cardigan that looked like my grandmother wore, but you were cute and charming in a weird way. I just felt like I needed to know more about you.”_

_“Then you invited me to your party and that’s where I met Sam.”_

_“I was jealous of her, you know.”_

_Kara tilts her head. “Really? Why?”_

_“She was spending a lot of time with you, having lunches and meetings she didn’t tell me about. I thought she was interested in you.”_

_“But she wasn’t.”_

_Lena shakes her head. “No, she was just getting acquainted, so you’d have a reason to keep coming back. She was giving me the opportunity to make a move.”_

_Kara snorts. “But it took you over a month to do anything and even then, I was the one who kissed you first.”_

_Lena laughs and nods, resting her head on Kara’s shoulder. “I was scared. I hadn’t been with anyone since Jack and I didn’t know how to be someone’s girlfriend.”_

_“So that’s why you played it off as something casual.”_

_“Yes. I knew if I made the decision to make it a temporary thing, we could have our fun and then I’d leave with no strings left attached.”_

_“But one of those strings stayed attached, didn’t it? Even after I had gotten stuck on Argo?”_

_“I guess so.” Lena looks up at Kara, lips starting to quiver. “What’s going to happen to me?”_

_“We’re going to find a cure and you’re going to get better. We’re going to raise our daughter and she’s going to grow up to be a moody teenager, slamming doors and telling us she hates us. We’ll take her to colleges until she picks just the right one, you and I will retire, maybe move into one of those retirement villages.”_

_Lena scoffs. “As if I’d want to live amongst other old people.”_

_Kara laughs. “Okay, okay. We’ll move to the coast, get a beach house. Maybe go sailing in my boat.”_

_“I miss that boat. Remember when we had sex in it?”_

_“How could I forget?” She turns her head to look at Lena, who’s looking up at her with those very same green eyes that first pierced through Kara’s very soul in her office when they first met. Kara checks her watch and Lily will be in school for another couple hours. She gets up from off the couch, scoops Lena up into her arms like she weighs nothing, causing Lena to let out a high yelp. Carrying her to the bedroom, she lays her down in the middle of the bed and climbs up next to her. She brings up a hand to cup Lena’s cheek, not making any other moves, just regarding her, memorizing and rememorizing all of her features._

_“I love you,” Kara whispers._

_“I love you, too,” Lena replies, eyes beginning to water. Kara moves in then, brushing her lips against Lena’s until she presses in closer and kisses Kara desperately. They cling to each other, wrapping their limbs around their bodies, holding on tight. Articles of clothing are shed and skin touches skin, lips moving down Lena’s jaw and neck, the ghostly feel of kisses being left all over her body. She lets Kara take care of her, lets her take her time, because she knows she needs it. They both do. _

_They’re committing each other to memory, remembering every scar and every birthmark. Kara kisses all of them and Lena drags her nails down Kara’s back when she feels lips wrap around a nipple and suck. She lets out a deep sigh and Kara reaches a hand down to part Lena and drags two fingers through her. She’s _wet, _probably wetter than she’s been in years. Admittedly, ever since they adopted Lily, they hadn’t really taken time for themselves. Between raising a child, running a company, and being a superhero, they didn’t have the time. But now, with time slipping away from both of them, frantically grasping at their lives to hold onto their memories they don’t want to forget. _

_As Kara slides a finger inside, Lena gasps and bucks her hips up, pulling her closer and further, clutching onto Kara’s shoulders as tight as she can, not wanting to let go, wanting to feel her everywhere. Kara’s breath blows against the skin of her neck as they start moving and Lena can feel her body running full-speed toward her release. She begs Kara for more and to move faster, wanting everything all at once, everything Kara has to give. _

_And Kara gives it all. _

_With a curl of her fingers and the blunt tip of a thumb rubbing against her clit, Lena’s orgasm tears through her as she arches her back, mouth open as she screams her wife’s name, hoping that repeating it ingrains it into her mind. Everything turns white and she doesn’t notice the wetness running down her cheeks until Kara hovers over her and wipes it away with her free hand. _

_“Baby?”_

_Lena doesn’t say anything, just pulls Kara down to her, hugging her close. Kara removes her fingers slowly and holds Lena, letting her cry, letting her process. She holds her until she feels Lena’s breaths even out, until she knows she’s asleep. When Lena rolls away from her, Kara pulls out the notebook she’d been using to recount their life together, adding new entries to it and writing down her fears of losing her wife painfully slowly. But she also writes about happy things, like Lily and how she and Lena will be celebrating their fifteenth marriage anniversary soon. It feels like a lifetime ago when they’d met in Lena’s office, trying not to turn into a puddle of goo when she noticed the CEO flirting with her. Never in any scenario she thought up in her mind did she ever think they’d end up here and she honestly wouldn’t trade any of it for the world._

* * *

Kara shakes herself awake and she realizes she’s on a couch and not her bed. She looks around to get her bearings and she’s still inside the L-Corp lab. Mostly everyone’s gone home, but she sees Lily at one of the computers, typing away. She rolls off of the couch and walks over to her daughter to see what’s going on.

“You should get some sleep,” she tells her.

“I’ve almost got this. Just a few more minutes,” Lily replies.

“Honey, it’ll be there when you wake up. Come on, let’s get you home.”

“No! I almost have it, Mama. I can bring Mom back,” Lily yells desperately. “I can do it.”

Kara sighs and kisses Lily on the top of the head. “Okay, will you at least show me what you’re doing?”

Lily turns the monitor slightly, so Kara can see it and explains everything she’s been doing for the past few hours. She’s been able to extract what she needs from one of the oregus flowers and inject it into a capsule that should work. It may take a few rounds of treatments, but it’s supposed to rebuild the connections within the brain.

“This is incredible. I’m so proud of you,” Kara says, putting an arm around Lily’s shoulder. “I’ll speak with Mama’s doctor and see if we can start treatment as soon as possible.”

Kara goes home to shower and have some breakfast before going to the hospital. She walks inside, greeting people along the way until she reaches Lena’s room, but she isn’t there. Peeking her head out, she tries to find a nurse, but the whole area is cleared out. Using her x-ray vision, she finds the closest person and walks to them. Normally, she’d listen for Lena’s heartbeat, but its beat changed over time and she’s still trying to get used to the new beat.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for Mrs. Luthor-Danvers. She isn’t in her room.”

The nurse walks over to a computer and looks her up. “It looks like she had a bad episode and they’re trying to treat her in a quieter area. She’s in room 452 now.”

“Why wasn’t I—why wasn’t her wife contacted? She didn’t know she’d been moved.”

“I’m sorry, Supergirl. This isn’t where I do my rounds, but I can find out for you.”

“It’s fine,” Kara grunts as she tries to go find her wife. When she does, she sees Lena lying on a hospital bed, unconscious. She looks at her chart and sees that they had to sedate her again. Kara changes into her civilian clothes and waits for a nurse to come by.

“Oh, Mrs. Luthor-Danvers, I didn’t know you were here.”

“I would have been here sooner if someone had told me she had another episode. How bad was it this time?”

The nurse looks at her sympathetically. “She was screaming all night. We couldn’t get her to calm down, kept saying something about everyone leaving her and said Lex’s name over and over.”

Kara sighs and looks over at Lena. “Well, next time it happens, I want you to call me. I need to know everything that’s going on with her.”

“Of course, Mrs. Luthor-Danvers.” The nurse checks Lena for bed sores and then leaves the two of them alone.

Kara sits with Lena for a while until she hears her stirring. Lena’s eyes blink open.

“Supergirl?”

“No, sweetheart, it’s me. It’s Kara.”

“Kara? I don’t… who are you?”

Kara sighs. “I’m your wife, baby.”

Lena scoffs. “I don’t have a wife. You sure you’re in the right room?”

“I’m sure, look.” She holds up Lena’s chart, showing her the name written on it: _Luthor-Danvers_. Lena stares at it, looks up at Kara and then back at the clipboard.

“Well, I’ll be. You’d think I’d remember getting married. How long has it been?”

Kara’s just grateful that Lena isn’t lashing out like she does sometimes when she’s confused, so she tells her the Cliffs Notes version her how they met, when they got married. She tells her about Lily and how proud she’d be of their daughter.

“She sounds really great,” Lena says.

“She took after you, and she’s so smart. When she was five, she took apart our toaster just to see how it worked. Neither one of us could be upset at her, because you did the same thing when you were young.”

“Were we happy?” Lena asks.

Kara smiles at her. “I like to think so. We had our issues, but we always talked them out. Never went to bed mad.”

“Well, that’s good. I wish I could remember.”

“That’s what Lily and her cousin are working on. They made a breakthrough recently and we’re going to try a new treatment.”

“I hope it works,” Lena says.

“Me too,” Kara answers solemnly. She feels fingers slide across her hand and they tighten their grip. She looks up at Lena, who’s smiling at her, almost exactly the way that she used to. It makes Kara want to throw herself into Lena’s lap and cry, but one of the doctor’s knocks on the door before entering.

“Kara, may I speak with you for a moment?”

Lena pats her hand and nods as Kara stands up and follows the doctor out. “What is it?” she asks, worried that it’s more bad news.

“I spoke with Lily and she said that she has some new medical trials to try.”

“Yes, she and Conner have been working nonstop since Supergirl came back with the plants.”

“Well, my concern is that these new drugs aren’t FDA approved and they’re not sanctioned by anyone but L-Corp.”

Kara frowns. “So, you want to be absolved of all responsibility if something goes wrong, is that it?”

“To put it bluntly, yes. With new medications and treatments, no matter where they come from, they need to be tested. I could lose my medical license or maybe even be charged if I administer these and prescribe them to Lena and she has a negative reaction.”

Kara nods. “Fine, I’ll have L-Corp's lawyers draw up some paperwork for all of us to sign that says you’re not responsible for anything that happens once we give Lena these new drugs.”

“Thank you, Kara. That’s all I ask. Everyone here is rooting for her, you know.”

“I know. Thank you, doctor.”

When Kara turns to look back into Lena’s room, she sees her wife sleeping and decides to let her be. She walks the grounds and looks at Lena’s new neighbors, many of which are bedridden, and most don’t have any visitors besides the nurses and doctors. It makes Kara sad that no one comes to visit them, even if some of them wouldn’t even remember their family members. She tries to put herself in their shoes. Would she want her family to come see her if she were here and didn’t remember? Breaking their hearts over and over? Would she be lonely? Would she even know?

She concludes that family comes to visit for themselves as much as for the patient, so if it brings them happiness or joy or hope, not just sadness, then they should visit. That’s why she comes to see Lena, because she has hope that she’ll get better. She doesn’t want Lena to feel alone, lost and confused in a hospital that won’t let her go home.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Lily and Conner start to treat Lena with the new medicine, but, so far, there haven’t been any changes.

“It may take a while for it to take effect. It’s basically rebuilding her brain,” Lily explains. “Be prepared for a lot of confusion if it starts working. Her brain will basically become a half-finished puzzle with a lot of pieces missing until it puts itself back together.”

“Do you think it would help if I keep reading to her? If I keep trying to trigger memories?”

Lily shrugs. “It can’t hurt. You’ve been doing it for the past few years, anyway, right?”

Kara nods. “Right. Okay, then I’ll keep our Wednesday dates.”

“Today _is_ Wednesday,” Conner chimes in.

“Then I have a date,” Kara beams. “I’ll see you two later.” Dressed up in her super-suit, she knocks three times on Lena’s door and pops her head in. Lena turns her head and smiles instantly.

“Supergirl! What a wonderful surprise.”

“Hi, Lena. It’s Wednesday, you know what that means.”

“Board meeting?”

“No, I come to read to you every Wednesday, remember? Do you have some time now?”

“Of course, of course. Pull up a chair,” Lena says, gesturing to the table.

“Actually, would you like to take a walk? It’s a nice day out.”

“Sure, I could use some fresh air,” Lena says, standing up and grabbing her sweater. Kara offers her arm, which Lena readily takes. They walk out to the garden surrounding the hospital and walk down a trail.

“Aren’t you going to read? Where’s your book?” Lena asks.

“Oh, I have it memorized, don’t you worry,” Kara replies with a wink.

* * *

_“Mama, I want to put the star on the tree!”_

_“Okay, but don’t tell Mommy I flew you to the top. It’s our secret, okay?”_

_“Okay, Mama!”_

_Kara lifts Lily up and hovers a few feet above the ground, so her daughter can affix their tree topper. She’s so distracted by Lily’s excitement that she doesn’t hear Lena coming.”_

_“Kara Zor-El, put our daughter down right now.”_

_“Oops,” Kara gulps. She floats down and puts Lily on the ground. “Hi, baby.”_

_“Don’t ‘hi baby’ me. What have I told you about using your powers indoors?”_

_“Only for emergencies,” Kara frowns and hangs her head in shame. _

_“That’s right. Now, come give me a kiss.” Kara leans in and kisses Lena on the cheek. _

_“Me too, me too!” _

_Lena picks Lily up and blows a raspberry on her cheek; Kara joins in on the other cheek, making her giggle and squeal. They host Christmas at their house, inviting all of their friends and family. Lena, Eliza, and Lillian help with the cooking while Kara, Alex, and Kelly help with the eating. Sam and Ruby come a little later after they spend some time with Sam's family._

_They exchange gifts after dinner and Lily has a ball ripping her presents open and seeing what everyone got her. Eliza bought her a dollhouse, Alex and Kelly bought her some dinosaur plushies, and Lillian opened her trust fund. _

_“Really, Mom?” Lena says, giving her mother a look._

_Lillian rolls her eyes. “Oh, of course that isn’t all I got her. The rest is outside.”_

_Kara and Lena look at each other and mouth ‘outside?’_

_They all follow Lillian out the front door and they see her driver parked in front of the house he opens the back door and hands her something... fluffy?_

_“A puppy?” Lily screeches, high enough that probably only the dog could hear. _

_A puppy,” Lena repeats in disbelief. She looks over to Kara for help, but she looks just as excited as their daughter. _

_“Do you know what breed of dog this is?” Lillian asks. Lily shakes her head. “It’s a Great Perenese.”_

_“Mother!” Lena exclaims. “Do you know how big those get? How are we supposed to find room for a dog that big?”_

_“You need a guard dog.”_

_Lena scoffs loudly. “You do know I installed L-Corp’s security features all over this house, right?”_

_“What if you’re not home?”_

_Everyone who isn’t involved in the conversation watches them go back and forth like it’s a tennis match and Kara knows she’s going to have to do some damage control once everyone leaves. Lily’s just happy to be there and is rolling on the floor with her new guard dog and Ruby. _

_Soon enough, they’re sending everybody home with promises to be there tomorrow for lunch. Lillian at least had the generosity and foresight to also buy some food dishes, dog food, toys, and other necessities for their new pup. Lily insists the dog sleeps with her and Kara can’t say no to either one of them. _

_Lena and Kara tuck Lily into bed and read her a bedtime story together. _

_“What are you going to name him?” Kara asks. _

_“Krypto, like Krypton,” Lily answers sleepily, opening her mouth wide for a yawn. _

_“It’s perfect,” Kara says, getting choked up. “Goodnight, sweetie.”_

_“Night, Mama.” _

_Both Lena and Kara kiss her goodnight and leave the door cracked open while they retreat to their own room. They get ready for bed together and get settled in. _

_“I can’t believe my mother got our daughter a dog without talking to us first.”_

_“Are you really surprised?” Kara asks, snuggling up to Lena’s side._

_“I guess not. She is quite good at withholding information.”_

_Kara doesn’t say anything, but when she looks at Lena holding back laughter, she breaks first and snorts. When their laughter dies down, Kara catches Lena looking at her with a strange expression on her face._

_“What?”_

_“Nothing. I’m just happy. Everything feels right for once. After everything that’s happened, I never thought we’d ever get here, you know?”_

_“Yeah, I know,” Kara replies reverently. “We were pretty dumb back then.”_

_“Well, one of us slightly more than the other,” Lena jokes, smiling wryly. _

_“Yeah, yeah. I was a big idiot.”_

_“You came to your senses, though.”_

_“I did,” Kara replies, kissing Lena’s forehead. “Thank goodness.”_

_Lena turns toward Kara and rests her head on her hand. “Hey, I love you.”_

_Kara smiles. “I love you more.”_

_“Impossible,” Lena says, shaking her head and leaning in to kiss Kara. They proceed to have the quietest sex they’ve ever had out of fear that they’ll wake up either their daughter or their new dog. _

* * *

It’s been two months since they’ve started Lena on her new medication and she still doesn’t seem to remember anyone other than Supergirl. Kara’s beginning to feel very discouraged by all of it. Alex tries to give her words of encouragement, but it goes unheard, for the most part. Kara just wants her wife back and she’s losing patience.

“I don’t understand why it’s not working. Aren’t all of the plaques or whatever it is that’s affecting her memory gone now?”

“As far as I know, yes. We checked her most recent scan and her connections are all there. Maybe it’s just been so long and there’s something else blocking it,” Lily hypothesizes. “Maybe try finding things that will remind her of when you two met, or things that may jog memories of when you two were younger. Couldn’t hurt.”

The next time Kara goes to visit Lena, she brings in a box full of items that she’s kept over the years. When she gets to Lena’s room, she greets her wife and sits down at the small table.

“I brought some things for you to look at today, Lena. Is that okay?”

“Of course, Supergirl. What do you have for me?”

Kara pulls out a stack of envelopes and hands them to her. Lena flips through them, brow furrowed.

“These are letters that were written to you a long time ago.”

“Who are they from?” Lena asks, taking one of the letters out and reading through it.

“Someone who loves you very much,” replies Kara.

“Kara Danvers,” Lena recites as she turns the envelope over and reads the return address. “That name sounds familiar.”

“Does it?” Kara asks, trying not to sound too excited.

“I think my mother knew her.”

Kara deflates. “Ah. Perhaps. Anyway, I have other things here, too.” She takes out a photo of the two of them on Kara’s boat, then a photo of the two of them and Lily at Lily’s college graduation.

“Is any of this bringing anything back?”

Lena shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I can’t remember.” The one thing that the medication has been doing is making Lena realize that there are things missing. She knows that there are things she should be remembering, but everything is hidden by a shroud of fog that she can’t navigate through. There’s less lashing out when she gets confused and more apologies when she sees Kara’s disappointment.

“It’s okay,” Kara says, forcing a smile across her face. “We’ll keep trying.” She stands up and starts collecting all of the photos and letters.

“Supergirl?”

“Yes, Lena?” Kara answers, not looking up.

“Are you and I in love?”

Kara pauses, now gazing up into Lena’s eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, you’re here all the time and I just feel like we have a connection that’s more than a friendship. I don’t know, it’s just a feeling. If I’m wrong and just embarrassing myself, please tell me.”

Kara grins, putting everything back into the box. “We’re very close. I’ve known you for a long time and you’re right, we do have a connection that surpasses friendship.” It’s not really an answer, but Kara doesn’t want to make Lena feel any worse for not being able to remember, so she leaves it at that. She picks up the box and gives Lena one last smile.

“Until next time,” she says.

“Until next time,” Lena repeats as Kara walks out the door. Lily’s waiting outside and gives Kara a hug.

“I’ll stay with her for a little while and try to run a few more tests.”

“Okay. I’m going to go to your Aunt Alex and Aunt Kelly’s house for a bit. Call me if anything happens,” Kara says and Lily nods.

* * *

“She asked if we’re in love – not Kara and her, Supergirl and her.”

Alex sighs. “Well, at least she’s picking up on that. Isn’t that something?”

“But it’s only been from recent interactions. She’s picking up on body language and things we say to each other. She doesn’t actually _remember_,” Kara says, resting her head in her hands while sitting at Alex and Kelly’s kitchen table.

“Can’t you build on that?” Kelly asks. “I know it’s different, but at least the two of you can start something new right now, if she thinks you’re in love.”

“It-it’s not the same,” Kara lets out a shuddering breath. “She doesn’t remember everything we’ve gone through, which honestly might be a good thing.”

Kara leaves their house shortly after and she’s about to fly home when she receives a call from Lily.

“_Mama?_”

“Hi, honey. What’s up?”

“_I think you should come to the hospital._”

“Is everything okay? Is it your mom?”

“_Just… come. Hurry. Come as Supergirl._”

Kara disconnects the call with a frustrated huff, annoyed by her daughter’s vagueness, but she takes off for the hospital that she’d just left hours before and walks through the sliding doors that she’s become so familiar with. Her heart starts to beat faster as she approaches Lena’s room, imagining every possible scenario. Is Lena okay? Did she have a bad episode? Then she hears it, she hears Lena's heartbeat - the same beat as when they were younger. When she gets to Lena’s door, she takes a deep breath before knocking three times and opening it.

Before she can say anything, she’s welcomed by a body being thrown into her and arms wrapping around her neck.

“_Kara_.”

Kara’s breath hitches as she looks in Lily’s direction, who’s already crying and nods at her. She wraps her arms around Lena and holds onto her.

“Lena?” She breathes out, nuzzling her nose into Lena’s neck.

“I remember,” her wife whispers into her ear. “I remember everything.”

“Oh. Oh, Rao. I missed you so much, baby,” Kara says, chest hiccupping as tears flow out and seep into Lena’s cardigan. She tightens her arms around Lena until she holds one out for Lily, who runs to them and hugs both of her parents.

When they’ve all calmed down, they sit at the tiny table, Kara not letting go of Lena’s hand the entire time.

“But how? I was just here and you didn’t remember anything.”

“I don’t know. I was talking to Lily and she was doing these brain exercises and something just clicked and I started remembering.”

“We were talking about how she felt about you - you, meaning Supergirl. She said she felt there was a strong connection there, like she’s supposed to love you. So, I told her you were here almost every day and how you spent weeks in a pod to fly to Argo to find this one rare flower to bring back with you and about your Wednesday reading dates, then suddenly… bam.”

“It was like a light switched on in my head and I just remembered. Everything came flooding back at once. Your love brought me back.”

Kara squeezes Lena’s hand, tears falling again as she takes it all in. Her wife came back. Lena came back.

“Oh, wait, I have something for you,” Kara says as she unhooks one of her sleeves. She slides a bracelet off her wrist and holds it out for Lena. “I kept it safe for you.”

“Where’s yours?” Lena asks. Kara unhooks her other sleeve and pulls it down, exposing a matching bracelet.

“I’ve been wearing both.”

Lena smiles and holds out her wrist and Kara hooks the bracelet onto it. She kisses Lena’s hand and holds it up to her cheek. Lily excuses herself to go speak with a doctor to see if they can start the discharge paperwork and leaves the two of them alone.

Kara looks at Lena, her green eyes finally looking back at her with the love and reverence that she’s been missing for so long.

“So, you remember everything?” Lena nods. “_Everything _everything?”

“I remember everything, Kara,” Lena laughs.

Kara hums and nods. “So, you remember the boat?” she asks with a wry smile.

“How could I forget?” Lena answers with her own suggestive smile. “God, you don’t look like you’ve aged a day. And then look at me.” She looks down at her hands that look boney and wrinkly now with age.

“You’re beautiful,” Kara says without hesitation. “You’re just as beautiful as when I first laid my eyes on you in your office.”

“With Clark,” Lena reminisces. “You were late.”

“I overslept,” Kara admits with a sheepish grin.

“I figured.”

A knock at the door interrupts them and Lena’s doctor walks in. He has her discharge paperwork in hand; they all sign it and, within the hour, Lena is free to go. Lily drives them home and Kara calls Alex on the way there to let her know everything that’s going on. Everyone in the car can hear her sister’s screaming through the phone.

Throughout the next week, Lena’s reintroduced to Alex and Kelly. She meets their son and Conner. Kara takes her to the family gravesite where she can pay her respects to Lillian and Lionel, her father. Lex’s remains are there, too.

“How did he die?” Lena asks.

“In his sleep, in prison.”

Lena nods solemnly. “Better than what he deserved, but I’m glad he didn’t suffer.” She sets down bouquets in front of each headstone and Kara wraps an arm around her waist. They head home and Kara shows her the notebook. Lena runs her fingers across the worn cover and opens it to the first few pages.

“I remember when you first started writing this.”

Kara nods. “Started and never stopped. Everything’s in there, everything you’ve missed, everything I’ve forgotten.”

“You came to read this to me every Wednesday?”

“Wednesday is reading day,” Kara says with a simple shrug. Lena sets the book down on their coffee table and holds Kara’s face in her hands.

“I love you so much, Kara Zor-El.”

“I love you, too,” replies Kara, turning one of Lena’s hands open to kiss her palm and then leans in to kiss her mouth and cheeks and every inch of her face that she can reach. They make up for their lost time by watching movies Lena’s missed out on, exploring National City and all of the new restaurants that have opened since Lena had to be admitted into the hospital.

Sam slaps Lena’s shoulder for not telling her she was back sooner, but hugs her nonetheless, and tells her she’s coming with her to the next Bingo Night. Together, they’ll clean the whole place out. They visit Ruby in L-Corp and Lena tells her how proud she is and is so excited to see where she takes the company next. Ruby asks Lena to be a consultant for their R&D division and Lena accepts.

They spend more time with Alex and Kelly, and their son Caleb, and when Lily finally brings someone home to meet her parents, Kara cries. Clark comes to visit during the holidays and brings his wife Lois with him. Conner, of course, joins in, as well.

Everything seems to fit together again, all the puzzle pieces snug in their places. Kara keeps writing in the notebook, filling the pages to the end and starting a new one, the next chapter of their lives and she can’t wait to see where it takes them next. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue: they use the other plants they brought back from Argo to create a longevity serum, so Lena and Kara and everyone else never dies, the end.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this. I appreciate it more than you know.


End file.
